Cousins, Book 4: Mating Games
by KieraPSI
Summary: Continued from Familiar Faces: Things are settling down; couples are consolidating and issues with the US Government have been resolved. The Dominant's Council, however, is still a great danger to Lewis, his family and their friends from Sloan's lab. Sexual situations & graphic violence. See author profile for disclaimers.
1. Chapter 1

Keri frowned as she approached the barracks building, following her mate's 'trail'. It was still very early in the morning and there was already a heated discussion going on in Anja's room, and of course Mark was in the middle of it. She didn't have to 'feel' what was going on, oh no. She could hear Mark shouting, even with the windows closed and the air conditioning running to combat the heat of a Fresno summer that refused to give way to autumn. She sighed and made her way through the building, readying herself to play mediator. It seemed especially ironic since that was what Mark had been trained to do almost since infancy.

"No, Anja, you _cannot_ do this. I won't allow it, and that is final!" Mark shouted as Keri opened the door and surveyed the somewhat crowded room.

"We don't have much choice," Anja told him. Her voice was calm, a dead calm with no inflections and little accent, which should have warned Mark of just how angry the courier was. "It best way to get me back to council and we get Peterson family back at same time. Everybody wins…_except_ council."

"She's right, Mark," Jeff said from the corner of the room. "Lewis? She's yours to protect, what do you think?"

"Since she's determined to be unreasonable about this, and put herself at risk for a stranger, I have to agree with that assessment," Lewis responded as he walked to the door and drew Keri into the room. He led her over to Anja's bed and waited for her to give Anja a hug before he continued. "The council has not bothered to contact Peterson about his family, that means they are confident they will be able to control him…use him against us. They are letting his fear for his wife and son build, assuming that he will be so grateful to find that they are alive and well, his resistance to the idea of spying for the enemy will be minimal." Lewis reached out and absently caressed her neck as she settled on the edge of the mattress. "At least, that would be my initial assumption if I did not suspect that he knew who had taken them."

"And Lewis would know," Tom said quietly. Keri looked up in shock. She hadn't even noticed his presence. It was probably because she hadn't expected him to leave his suite…and his bond mate so soon. "He _is_ the expert…on terror, the council, and on Damien."

"Um, what are we discussing here?" she decided to ask.

"_You_ are not discussing anything," Mark said, sounding annoyed. "This is faction business. The only reason Lewis has been permitted to voice an opinion is due to his status as the head of Anja's family."

"_Excuse _me?" Keri began.

"Keridwen is Anja's sib," Lewis snapped. "She has as much, if not more of a right to be involved in this discussion than you. She also supports your faction. It is due to her influence that you still have the use of this facility. I suggest that you show her the proper respect."

Mark's face was unreadable, but Keri could feel sullen resentment crawling through his aura. "I stand corrected," he said, turning to her. "We are discussing allowing Ray and Walter to tell the council that Anja is their prisoner, and to offer to exchange her for Peterson's wife and son."

Oh, shit. Keri's mind raced as she considered the situation and the possible outcomes. "Damien thinks she's still carrying his offspring, and from how proud of the fact Anja felt him to be he might well be willing to give up his advantage to ensure her safety." She frowned and looked at her sib. "But what worries me, is how he might react once he _does_ have you back and finds out you're no longer pregnant."

Anja rolled her eyes. "He will be pissed. If he thinks sapiens made me lose babies, he will take revenge. Not a good thing."

"Okay…okay…um. How were you planning on being captured? I mean, what are you going to say happened that enabled them to take you?"

"I told you, another bike accident. Taken to hospital unconscious, they did scans, found the uteri and called in government."

"Hmm, they'd do x-rays first. And you'd have probably come to before they did anything more thorough. I mean, you'd have to have evidence of a serious head injury to account for you being out long enough for them to do a full body scan of any sort, and the ER staff wouldn't have any reason to think an ultrasound was necessary."

"Scheisse, I think of something else then," she shrugged. "Got to be something."

Lewis frowned thoughtfully. "They'd also be suspicious of another bike accident so soon after the last. You've run around for years on the things without any problems. Hell, you rode one a good hundred miles with a bayonet in your hip and suddenly you can't control it? I don't think so." He shot Anja a conspiratorial look. "Besides, if you had another accident on the bike, Damien would ban you from riding it. I'm certain you'd find that unacceptable."

"Damn straight. Okay, no bike accident."

Tom dropped into a crouch. "But still an accident," he said slowly. "We can't allow them to think that Walter or Ray had anything to do with your loss of Damien's offspring. And if you suffered a spontaneous miscarriage, they would insist on a complete examination to determine why."

"Which they might do anyway, and their reaction to the results would be fatal for Anja. That is why it's too dangerous," Mark insisted.

"Everything we do is dangerous," Anja told him. "Don't be a wuss."

Keri clapped a hand over her mouth to hold back a giggle. Her sib was _really _pissed with Mark, and probably not just about this. She forced her amusement back under control and ran a few more ideas through her head. "Okay," she finally said, breaking the silence. "What if Anja had some other type of accident? Let's say she was spending the night at a motel and was on the top floor. She'd thought she was alone on the floor but as she was about to go down the stairs some kids ran down the hall behind her. That startled her into thinking she was being attacked, and when she spun around to counter it – which is when she saw it was just kids, her left leg and hip couldn't take the strain and she fell down the stairs, ending up unconscious at the bottom. An ambulance was called, and she was taken to the hospital where they discovered she was bleeding vaginally because the impact had triggered the miscarriage. This prompted them to do an ultrasound and they discovered the multiple uteri. Realizing she was a member of the new species, the hospital staff called in the government. The government took her into custody and because the inter-agency investigation of Dani's activities is still ongoing, they eventually turned her over to Dr. Attwood," she concluded triumphantly.

The others looked thoughtful. "Not bad, cherished. Not bad at all," Lewis finally commented. "And we can probably persuade the investigation team to make an official record of this…occurrence so that the council's operatives within the various agencies will be able to confirm the veracity of the story."

Mark was nodding, apparently in agreement, surprise, surprise. "And I can have our contact in the CHP call Lynch. She can tell him that it occurred to her to check the records for ambulance calls that were not a result of a vehicular accident and that she discovered that a young woman meeting the description he gave her was picked up and transported to a hospital…we'll need to decide which one."

"Do we have any for which we can falsify the records?" Jeff asked.

"Not necessary." Tom looked up at each of his cousins in turn. "If the government took custody of her, they would expunge the records. Lynch would know that…uh, we _are _talking about Randall, or is it another one of his clones?"

"According to the report I received he was taking fairly thorough precautions to conceal his identity," Mark said. "I believe we're actually dealing with Randall this time."

"Okay, given his training in the chameleon program, _he_ would definitely expect that. The fact that an ambulance record existed on the dispatch file, but not with any ambulance services and that no hospital has record of admitting Anja would tell him that the government had stepped in."

"Once he informs Damien, that should immediately trigger an order for Randall to contact Peterson or Attwood," Lewis agreed. "We'd be forcing their hand, making them act much sooner than they had intended. While they'll be off balance, you must take care not to expect them to make mistakes. Damien will make a hasty decision based on his own wants and needs, but he will still be vigilant for an opportunity to turn it to his advantage."

"What about the surgery?" Mark asked. "Damien still might insist on an examination and Anja would still…"

"No. I tell him the government found the damage to my uteri too great to fix, only one still intact, so they did surgery like this instead of just removing everything because I insist I need to be able to bear or he would not want me back."

"Sounds good. That would make him somewhat indebted to Walter," Tom mused.

"I've got a question. Since we figure that they won't be looking for Mr. Peterson any time soon, and the government would likely hold on to Anja until he was approached, can we wait to have Mark's CHP contact call Lynch until like Sunday at the earliest?"

"Why the delay, my own?"

Keri smacked Lewis on the arm. "Because, she's my maid of honor. I need her here for our wedding on Saturday and she can't be here and be in the middle of being traded for the Petersons at the same time."

Anja laughed and smacked Lewis' other arm, eliciting a glare from him. "Ja, get your priorities straight!"

... ...

Caryn looked up from the pile of glass she'd just finished sweeping up as she heard the door creak open. The maintenance staff had replaced it on its hinges just before lunchtime as a temporary measure, but it would have to be replaced. The door from the stairwell to the garage was in similar shape. Sloan entered cautiously then stared around the room.

"My God, what happened? Who trashed the place?"

"Keri. She got a bit angry with Carla."

"Oh, Tom got an update from Lewis this morning. The surgery turned out fine, he said." Sloan gingerly picked her way through the scattered equipment. "Wow, when Keri has a tantrum, she doesn't do it halfway. What did she do, go though the place with a baseball bat?"

"Ah, no. From what I understand, the only things she physically touched were the doors…and she only _touched_ them."

Sloan took another long look around the room. "Then how…I don't…oh my Go... Did she do it on purpose, I mean, can she control it or is it purely reactive?"

Caryn shook her head. Less than five hours out of what Jeff had described as a 'mating seclusion' and Sloan was back to being the scientist already. "Not sure, though she seemed pretty embarrassed about it at dinner last night. So that probably means it's reactive. I heard Lewis muttering something about poltergeists to Jeff…they both thought it was pretty funny. And Keri was _not_ amused. Should have seen Lewis do an about face. He must have felt how upset she was about the teasing; she hadn't so much as given him a dirty look."

"Yes, he would feel it. Tom would know immediately if I became upset with him and visa versa. It's kind of neat, well, so far, anyway."

The glass was now all on the dustpan. Caryn lifted it and dumped the contents into the trash. "Mark will have a cleaning and repair crew in here tonight, but I thought I'd go through everything and see what needs to be replaced, and I wasn't about to walk around in here just waiting for a piece of glass to go through my shoe. I know we lost most of our blood samples. Ed left them out again. Any chance we can get him to remember to put things away?"

"Ed? Put things away? Don't make me laugh." Sloan smiled as she retrieved the test tube rack from the floor. "I tried to pick up after him back at the university, but he'd stay at the lab so late there would always be a few things out when I came in the next morning. Ann never minded, she always said that small allowances could be made to encourage genius. But it gave Walter fits." She frowned thoughtfully. "I swear Ed's never slept a full night the whole time I've known him…well, except when he's sick or hurt. It's not normal and it shouldn't be good for him, but he seems to do okay."

Caryn froze for a second. Sloan didn't know. Oh boy. "Uh, Sloan? Sit down for a minute, all right?"

"Actually, I'd rather stand. Sitting is a bit, well…" she trailed off, blushing.

"Oh. Oh mah." Caryn felt the heat rise in her own cheeks. "Well…maybe you should sit down anyway, just for a little bit."

Sighing, Sloan pulled out a bench and gingerly sat. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"Wrong? Well, I don't know that it's wrong, so to speak." Sloan frowned at her. "Okay. Do you remember the latest DNA mapping we did; the one that carried the differential out to a second decimal place?"

"Sure, there were three sapiens samples that weren't strictly 1.1 percent from base primate. Walter, Ed, and, of course, Keri…okay, two sapiens samples and the sample from one, uh, partially adapted." Her nose wrinkled in distaste. "We've got to find some scientific way to describe that, partially adapted just sounds odd, not to mention it's awkward."

"I know what you mean. Okay, Ed's sample tested out at 1.17, pretty close to Keri's 1.19 percent. I also compared the EEG results. Keri's showed activity in the high range even for dominants. Ed's wasn't nearly as high. Even though it exceeded the sapiens norm, it wasn't by much more than Walter's."

"Well, yes, but Keri had the spontaneous mutation. She's got half of the abilities of the dominants."

"Right, the half caused by the nervous system adaptations. But Ed's DNA differential is almost as high as hers…and his scan, well, there's no comparison."

Sloan was starting to look concerned. "That's…odd. Ed must have something going on that doesn't really affect the nervous system."

Caryn rolled her eyes as Sloan stared intently at the floor. "He's quite an athlete," she hinted. "I hear he went through his undergrad years on a full athletic scholarship, including books, dorm, and food expenses. And that he won a grant that's given to outstanding academic athletes that paid for most of grad school for his genetics degree."

"Sure. He played basketball, ran track, and played baseball, all with a 4.0 average. Even got drafted by the Oakland A's at one point as a center fielder, but he'd been accepted to med school on a full academic scholarship so he turned them down." Sloan chuckled at the memory. "I lived in the East Bay for years, so nearly fell over when he did that…I mean, I was standing right beside him and I _literally_ nearly fell over. But he really wanted to go to med school and they wouldn't defer the scholarship. There's no guarantee that he would have made enough in baseball to pay for it later himself. He might have washed out at some point. But still…"

"I get the picture. It would have to have been football where I grew up, but yeah, everyone would have thought he was loco." Caryn smiled, Sloan was still missing the point. "Sloan, how many near geniuses do you know that are also star athletes, or have the abilities of one? Let's not count any of the dominants."

"Hmm, just Ed." She stared at the floor, her brow wrinkled in thought. "Oh my God! Maybe the other abilities can show up spontaneously, too!"

"Bingo. It was confirmed while you were, uh, otherwise occupied. Ed is partially adapted, but has the opposite of Keri's adaptation. Theoretically, and I say theoretically because Lewis would kill Ed if Ed so much as touched his mate, were Ed and Keri to have children together, those children would be homo sapiens-dominant even though neither of _them_ are."

Sloan stared at her, obviously shocked. "Well…damn."

... ...

Once the others had filed out of the room, he closed the door. Lewis waited until he could feel the last of them exit the building before turning on the two women. "You will _never_ strike me, not even playfully, in front of witnesses again," he ordered.

Keridwen's jaw dropped and Anja stared at him, wide-eyed. "Lewis, what…" his mate began.

"It is a sign of disrespect."

"Oh, come on. Everyone knows that we respect you. God, love, we both trust you with not just our own life, but with each other's."

He glowered at her and Anja. Keridwen was becoming quite pissed. Her sib was also angry, but was more cautious about displaying it. "I know that you intended no disrespect, were it otherwise, I would not have hesitated to correct you immediately."

"_Correct_ me? Damn it, Lewis, what am I, a disobedient puppy? Give me a break."

"You need to understand, cherished…"

"Oh, so I go from needing correction to being cherished in less than thirty seconds. Make up your mind," she said crossly.

Anja was scooting back on the bed; she obviously had no illusions that her status as his mate's sib would protect her if he turned his growing anger on her. Very wise. Now, how to get Keridwen's focus off of her annoyance and back on the problem at hand? Ah. He grabbed her by the arms and kissed her fiercely; by the time he pulled away she was breathless. What was that sound? Lewis looked over his shoulder at Anja. The courier had…giggled. He blinked in surprise, recovered, and then turned back to his mate. "My own, your display of what would be disrespect from anyone else was tolerable, but barely. The problem is that your action encouraged similar familiarity from your sib."

"But…we're bond mates so she's your sib too."

"Legally, yes. But in the eyes of the others I am allowing behavior that crosses the line. Should they be present as I choose to indulge your sib, or you, with such behavior it will build the illusion that I'm one of them…"

"Illusion? You specifically said that the council would try to use Ray against _us_."

He stared at her, wondering what he'd done to deserve a mate with almost total recall of auditory input, coupled with the tendency to interpret that input the way she wanted it. "Keridwen, as long as the coexistence faction is under my roof, _we_, meaning you, me, and Anja, are vulnerable to any action the council takes against _them_. The council is our common enemy. Now, would you allow me to finish?"

She sighed and held her arms up to him, silently asking for a hug. He folded his arms across his chest and waited. "Ohhh, _Lewis_!" she said, letting her arms drop. "Please stop being angry with me, I really don't see what the problem is."

"I see it," Anja said from behind them.

Lewis turned to face her, and tugged his mate in front of him. "Explain it to your sib, then," he told her.

"Keri, it's not you. It's me. I _am_ one of them. If they see Lewis allowing me to treat him as friend, they will subconsciously get comfortable around him. Not a good thing."

"Why in hell not?"

"Because, my own, I am a leader. There will be times when they will need to obey without question…and if they're too comfortable they will try to second-guess me. That could be fatal under the wrong circumstances."

"It's not that way with Mark."

"No, it's not. Mark is not an autocratic type of leader. He's more the figurehead and tiebreaker and he delegates final authority to those who are best qualified to hold it. That is why Alexa is now head of their military operations, with Karl reporting to her for their site security. It's a valid leadership style, but I, on the other hand, do not delegate final authority for anything."

She looked up at him, her curved lips pursed petulantly. "Okay, so Anja can't do it because they'll think it's allowed for anyone and I can't do it because what I do encourages Anja."

"Exactly."

Her sigh was so deep it was almost theatrical. "I'll do my best to remember. I'm going to be miserable though; do you realize that? I'm going to have to think about _every_ little thing I do in public. That's one of the reasons I left my grandfather's home in the first place, I hated not being able to just be myself."

"I'm sorry, my own."

"You're always sorry. Why is it that I'm always the one who has to change?"

Lewis smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Ah, but I _have_ changed, Keridwen," he murmured, nuzzling the tender skin behind her right ear. "I love you and have publicly admitted it. My…affection for Anja is also known. That's quite a dramatic change for me. Ask Tom. Before I met you no one was permitted to know how I felt about anything, well, other than anger, pride, or satisfaction."

She sighed again and looked back at him with sad eyes. "I know. But I haven't censored myself in nearly fifteen years; I don't know if I can do it."

"Of course you can," he told her, turning her in his embrace and softly kissing her lips. "You are an exceptional female, remember?"

The teasing had the expected effect. Keridwen smiled up at him and stretched up on her toes to return his kiss. "I remember," she said. "I love you."

He held her tight against his chest, closed his eyes and rested his chin on her head. "And I love you, my own," he whispered.

"Awww, how cute." Lewis' eyes snapped open and he glared at Anja. She returned his stare, dissolving into giggles…again.

"You've been around Keridwen too much," he accused, shaking his head.

"Could be worse," Anja retorted, her cheeks slightly pink. "Keri could be like me and call Dr. Parker the bim…"

"Enough," he scolded, then sighed. "She already has, fortunately not to the woman's face." His mate buried her face in his neck; he could feel her acute embarrassment.

Anja stared at them and then fell back against her pillows, laughing helplessly. "All right, Keri," she finally choked out.

... ...

"Hey, Alexa…wait up!" Ed called out as he trotted out of the house.

The chameleon paused, checked her watch and then turned to wait. "What is it?" she asked, her voice betraying a touch of impatience.

"I haven't seen you since…well…"

"Early yesterday morning. Yes, I know."

"Right," he said as he reached her. Ed stood awkwardly, his hands in the pockets of his khaki colored slacks. Now that he was with her, he had no idea what to say.

"I apologize for missing our run, I had duties that interfered."

He'd been wondering about that. His morning ritual had felt very…empty without her. At least she was still calling it 'our' run. "Oh, well. That's okay. I know you've got things to do." He stared at the ground.

"Is that all?"

Is that…? Ed looked up. She must have felt his hurt and dismay, or maybe she just read it in his face, because her expression softened and she reached out and rubbed his upper arm. "I'm sorry," he said. "Am I expecting too much?"

Alexa sighed. "No. Not really." She took a half step closer. "Ed, I'm just not used to this, to caring about someone or having them seek my company. Will you be patient with me?"

Her brilliant blue eyes met his beseechingly. "Yeah, sure, if you'll be patient with me when I look for attention. You know, Sloan says that my folks stuck me in pre-school too young. Claims it made me attention deprived." His heart raced at her sudden smile.

"I see. I have my work cut out for me, then," she said, taking the one last step that brought her to within a hairsbreadth of touching him. "Do you…"

He decided to take her proximity as an invitation. His hands slipped around her waist, and his lips descended towards hers. He hesitated just above them, unwilling to take something she wasn't fully willing to give. His consideration was rewarded. She moved the extra half inch into his kiss, and moaned when he gathered her close to deepen it. The kiss ended when he found himself gasping for breath. "Sorry…forgot to breathe, there." She smiled again; the sight made his heartbeat falter. "You don't smile enough," he complained. "And…I really missed you this morning. Running alone just isn't the same any more."

"Tate, running is for the purpose of exercise. Whether one does it alone or…"

It was obvious from her expression that she was teasing him. He kissed her again, slowly, gently. "Do you think you'll have any time to spend with me today?" he asked huskily.

"I'll see what I can do. There's several planning and tactical sessions scheduled, and I'm assisting Karl with training. He's reviewed the performance of his soldiers and feels some of them qualify to learn advanced combat techniques."

"Chameleon stuff?"

"Yes, chameleon stuff. Training that Lewis used to give to the council's elite soldiers, like Karl."

"Well, if Karl had it, why can't he teach it," he grumped. Uh oh, she was frowning now.

"He's not qualified to _teach_ it. Of those on site, only Lewis, Tom, and I are qualified."

"Damn. And Tom's busy with his new bond mate, there's no way in hell Mark would let Lewis train faction soldiers, he'd be scared crapless that Lewis would program them or something, so that leaves you."

"I don't know; I believe that Mark could trust Lewis to train faction soldiers. Training them successfully would be a matter of pride for my sire. The problem would be convincing Lewis to actively aid the faction. He's been very careful to avoid doing anything that would not be to his direct advantage."

Ed snorted. "Well, Keri's blown that one out of the water for him."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, never mind."

"Ed…this could be a problem, you need to tell me."

He frowned. Was Keri's involvement with the lab equipment a confidence? He shook his head. "Alexa, I really can't say, hey!" he yelped as she twisted his arm behind him. He could feel her breath warm on his ear and her body pressing into his back. "You know, this could be kind of hot under the right circumstances," he murmured.

The pressure on his arm eased and he let her turn him back around. "Ed, this is serious. Lewis is trying to strike a very careful balance, and if anything tips that balance without his knowledge, he'll be…hmm, enraged doesn't _begin_ to cover it." She glanced up at the main house. "We don't need that kind of trouble now."

Ed shrugged. "Well, it's _his _bond mate that's doing it."

Alexa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He couldn't bury the thought that it was an impressive sight. "What has she done Ed…and look up at my face, if you don't mind?"

Damn. Busted again. A lopsided grin emerged as he thought about that the dual meaning of that term. "I'm sorry. You're just so…ah, never mind. Let's just say I appreciate every inch of you." She was still staring at him with a severe frown. He sighed. "Look, Keri found out that the lab was really under-equipped, so she offered to buy what we needed. And we needed a lot. She's getting us an MRI and a transmission electron microscope, among other things. That's why she got Lewis to agree to renovate the storage building to hold a new lab; the stuff wouldn't fit in the old one."

"An MRI? How in creation is she paying for that? Lewis just spoke to me yesterday about making arrangements for them to travel to New York the Wednesday after the wedding so that she could see her estate's legal staff and get her banking issues straightened out. For all intents and purposes, she hasn't a cent until they do that."

"Uh, she said something about the Ryan money or something like that."

"Ed…she's talking about Lewis' money. He's Lewis Ryan."

"Well, yes. But he told her to treat it as her own."

"I'm sure he didn't intend for her to equip the coexistence faction with it."

He had to grin at her wry tone. "Well, then maybe he should have said so."

"This is going to be trouble. Damn it." She pulled away from him and resumed walking swiftly towards the barracks building; Ed trotted to keep up and barely managed to avoid colliding with her when she suddenly stopped. "If I inform Lewis, it will sound as though I am trying to get Keri in trouble. If I don't, all hell could break loose." Alexa looked up at him, perplexed. "I'm not sure which would be worse for us overall."

Ed shrugged. "Well, he can't hurt his mate, right?"

"Right."

"Then let Keri handle it, she'll tell him about it eventually. Lewis adores her, he might get p.o.'d, but he'll get over it as soon as she moves in for a hug. You've seen it happen."

"True. But just in case…don't allow anyone to tell him he's paying for it. Let him find out from Keri…at a time that she thinks is appropriate."

"That's cool with me. Speaking of time, will you have some for me after dinner?"

"Hmm, I might." A tiny smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as his face fell. "I'll definitely have time for you late this evening. Meet me at my suite about nine?"

Ed felt his mouth drop open and quickly closed it. "Ah, sure. Yeah, I mean, I'd love to." Her smile blossomed and Ed stared, openmouthed again. "You know, you've either got to stop doing that, or do it often enough that I get used to it. Otherwise you're going to give me a coronary." A decidedly wicked chuckle as she took off at a run was her only response. "Damn."

... ...

Amy groaned as she dumped her books on the ground and sank down beside them. She was out of her mind. Two majors. The admissions office had tried to talk her out of it; they'd even sent her to one of their overworked councilors to discuss her options. Her 4.0 grade point average from high school, and a perfect SAT combined score of 1600 convinced them to let her do it, and to let her register late and catch up with the classes already in progress.

She looked up as a group of soldiers raced past on the running track. They were moving so fast that she could barely count them, let alone know which ones it was. Way less than a minute had passed before she saw them finish the circuit and come to a halt just beyond her. The eight young men and two women were walking and stretching out their muscles. Amy smiled and looked again at the men…five of them were wearing spandex bike shorts that left absolutely nothing to the imagination…oh yeah. Her brow wrinkled as she stared at the uniformly impressive bulges. "Damn. I've _really_ gotta ask about that," she muttered.

After taking her books up to her second floor room in the main house, Amy decided to look for Keri. She finally found her in the medical unit, visiting Anja. She peeked in and stared. Anja was lying down on the bed, and Keri was sitting beside it with both hands on Anja's stomach. Weird. She settled against the doorjamb and waited to be acknowledged…she'd learned early not to go near Anja without an invitation. The dominant finally looked up at her when Keri sighed and sat back in the chair. "You want something?" she asked.

"Um, well, I wanted to ask Keri something."

Keri turned to look at her. "Well, come on in and ask. Anja, you know Amy, right?"

"Ja, we've met."

"I see." She looked back at Amy with an apologetic smile. "So what did you want to ask?"

Hmm, it had seemed like a simple question when she was looking at the guys, but now…oh wow. Keri's eyebrows had gone up, and Anja was starting to glower at her. She'd better manage to spit it out now, or just forget about it. "Uh, well, I was wondering. Are all dominant men, uh, really well hung?" Keri turned beet red and Anja burst out laughing. Amy hadn't been prepared for that reaction.

Anja recovered first. "Hey, sis, she wants to know if they're…_equipped_," she chortled.

"Oh god…Anja, knock it off." Keri sighed, shook her head and then looked back at Amy. Her face was still pink. "Whatever brought _that_ on?" she asked.

Amy shrugged. "I keep seeing them running around the place, and either they're all wearing socks in their pants, or they all have big cocks. I kinda doubt they're using socks, ya know? But I can't hardly go up to them with a tape measure and tell them to drop their drawers."

"Ah, no, that would be bad." Keri frowned, shaking her head. "Wait a minute, you're asking _me_? God, honey; if I knew the answer to that one, Lewis would go ballistic."

"Oh. I didn't think about that. Hey, Anja, you could tell me!"

Anja snorted. "I can tell you most of them adequate by my standard. Don't know how they compare to your sapiens males, haven't had any yet." She pursed her lips. "There are a few that are…very nice."

"Like Erik?"

"Ja, Erik. He almost as nice as Lewis."

"Anja!" Keri all but shrieked.

"Hey, he's the one that got up naked," Anja said defensively.

"Well, you don't have to keep reminding me that everyone saw him."

"Sorry." Anja didn't look very sorry to Amy.

"Okay, so you two don't know if we've just got a lot of guys that are packing some impressive equipment by human…uh, sapiens standards, or if that's normal for dominant males, right?"

"Right. Maybe Alexa would know," Keri mused. "But I don't know if she'd be really pleased about being asked."

Amy thought about the tall chameleon and shuddered. She reminded her of the actress Jeri Ryan playing a Borg on Star Trek Voyager, but colder. "No, not a good idea."

"Have I come at a bad time?" a woman's voice asked from the doorway. Amy blinked at Keri's suddenly hostile expression. She turned to see Carla standing in the hall wearing a lab coat and stethoscope. "I need to check our patient."

"Good a time as any," Anja shrugged.

Keri stood, moved the chair back against the wall and sat down again, still looking angry. What was up with that? Amy frowned and then brightened. "Carla! I'll bet you know the answer!"

The doctor's eyebrows rose. "To what, dear?"

Amy wondered what Keri's problem was. Carla had always been really nice to her. "Well, um, I was wondering about…" she trailed off and Anja snickered. Even Keri had lain off of the glare and was biting her lip to hide a smile. "Are the penises of dominant men bigger then those of sapiens men? On the average, I mean."

Carla's eyes widened, then she began to chuckle. "Well, I can't say that I know the average size for a sapiens. If you aren't specializing in Urology, they don't spend a lot of time on such things in medical school. And even that was quite a few years ago." She smiled, shaking her head. "What I can tell you is that penis size for dominant males ranges from an absolute minimum of eighteen up to about twenty-two point five centimeters. I suppose the average is about twenty point five. Any larger than twenty-two point five centimeters is, ah, exceptional." Amy did the math in her head. "That's like seven inches to around eight and three quarters…and eight inches is _average_? Oh, wow. I wasn't imagining it. They _are_ all really hung."

The doctor frowned. "Well, if they were any smaller they wouldn't be able to procreate and their genes would die out."

"Huh?"

"Oh, I know that one," Keri said, finally unbending enough to get into the conversation with Carla. "Dominant women have two different kinds of birth canal. That makes the distance the sperm has to travel a lot longer, for one thing, and it has to get past the main canal just to get into all of the uteri…it can't travel from the main into the pre-birth canal because of some kind of filter, right?"

"Exactly. Now, I assume that sapiens are, on average, a good deal smaller since the instance of dominant females being impregnated by the sapiens males they've seduced is very low."

"Yeah, on average a _lot_ smaller," Amy told her, wondering how finding out about dominant men's equipment had turned into a dominant reproductive system anatomy lesson.

"Huh, guess I don't want any sapiens males, then," Anja muttered, half to herself.

**ELSEWHERE**

When the facilitator called for new business, Damien stood to address the other council members. "We have several new issues that have arisen. They are directly related to old business, but the circumstances have changed to the point that everyone's input is necessary. First, we have learned that both Lewis Ryan and Tom Daniels are alive, free, and working together. In addition, they have both successfully had their memory blocks removed."

"Impossible," Henry, the Nevada representative spouted derisively.

Damien schooled his features to reflect patience. "Lewis had the help of a sapiens female named Keridwen, who, we believe, is a strong Empath. We cross-referenced that name with our database and found that Keridwen Ashton…yes, the one Lewis supposedly kidnapped during his escape, had been previously targeted by our breeding program because she had documented healing gifts. Her description matches that of the female that we are told assisted him with both the blocks and the shut down order." He paused to look around the long rectangular table with its rounded edges. "We do know that Lewis has successfully completed a mating bond with this female, and that she is carrying his offspring." As he expected, pandemonium broke out as the council members began debating the impossibility of it all.

Finally they settled down. Henry, who had recently begun to emerge as a power among the others, spoke out again. "Your informant is Jane Arthur, ah, I beg your pardon, she insists on calling herself Daniels to remind everyone that her eldest is Chosen. She is not the most reliable resource. What guarantee do you have that her information is accurate?"

His lips twisted in a smirk. He'd expected this reaction as well. "I agree, under most circumstances Jane would be considered only as a secondary source of information. However, this time we have the guarantee of Lewis himself that she has told us only the truth." He sat down, still smirking as the others erupted into chaos yet again. After waiting patiently for several minutes, he decided to elucidate. "Council Members," he said in a tone that would carry over their individual conversations. "Jane was sent, by me, to assist Lewis with restoring Tom's memories. We had planted one of the new tracers within her. Unfortunately, Lewis still suspected something and somehow, the tracer was neutralized. Jane has no memory of this. Subsequently, Lewis programmed Jane to tell the truth about certain incidents, including that of his bonding."

"What other incidents?" a female voice asked from the far end of the table.

"I'm glad you asked, Sheila," he said smoothly. "The truths she told us about other incidents are our second new issue. Jane was programmed to confess her crimes dating back to the great betrayal. During the chaos, she abandoned her youngest son, Jason, who had been wounded in the leg, ignoring the protests of her eldest. Later, she failed to properly restrain her daughter, Mary, who as a healer trainee was traumatized by the pain and terror she could not successfully block. The child ran out of hiding and was brutalized by two sapiens soldiers. This time Jane physically restrained her eldest from going to his sister's rescue. After the soldiers finished with their sport, she allowed her daughter to bleed to death, still restraining Tom from going to her aid."

Sheila paled, as did many of the other members. "That's…monstrous."

"It is. She also convinced her son that he was responsible for his sibling's deaths…which little deed the psychologists on staff believe to have induced Tom's catatonia."

"I don't think we need to hear any more," Henry said. "I was there, I was always perturbed about how she had managed to extricate two of her children without a scratch, but lose the others. Her explanation made no sense at the time."

"She didn't even extricate _them_. Lewis put them into hiding before he returned to protect his own family."

There was silence around the table for many minutes while that statement was digested. Roland spoke up. "So, we can lay responsibility for the deaths of Lewis' mate and offspring and his subsequent breakdown at her door as well?"

"No. Lewis chose to get his niece and nephews to what little safety was available for them. That blame belongs to the sapiens that attacked our people."

"Failure to protect your offspring, even at the expense of your own life, is a serious crime. Do you have a punishment to propose?" Henry asked.

"Ah, but I'm not done cataloging the crimes. Jane is also guilty of incest. Sustained sexual abuse of her son Timothy dating from shortly following the betrayal, until his untimely death at the hands of a clone." He smiled grimly at their horrified expressions. "She also took the opportunity to similarly abuse Tom when she captured him for our interrogator." The others were struck silent at the enormity of Jane's transgressions. "I do not have a punishment to _suggest_, because there is only one sentence for this particular crime. Execution."


	2. Chapter 2

"Lewis?"

He glanced over to where his mate stood half in and half out of the narrow doorway of his hidden study. "What is it, Keridwen?"

She sighed, her expression troubled. "Are you still angry with me?"

Turning to face her, he did a surface read and found that her mood was poor and going downhill. "I'm not angry with you. Exasperated, perhaps, but not angry." His eyes closed wearily as she sighed again, turned, and trudged back toward their bedroom. He followed in time to see her crawl into the middle of their bed, pick up a pillow and hug it close. "Keridwen, what do you want from me?"

She looked over her shoulder and smiled…well, tried to smile. Yes, the deep depression he had felt from her the other day was back. "Nothing, I'm fine," she insisted.

"Of course you are." Lewis sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, and then tugged the pillow away from her and tossed it to the side. "Are _you _still angry with me?"

"I don't know. I guess. I'm just…I don't know."

"I see." His review of the purchase agreement for his security software could wait. "We've an hour or so free until dinner. Would you like to talk about it?"

"You're not free, you're busy."

"And you are not fine." He hesitated as she stiffened in his embrace. "Keridwen, you are my priority, you know that." Gently nuzzling her left cheek, he waited for her to relax again. "Your scenario for Anja's _accident_ was brilliant. I was very proud of you today."

"Yeah, so proud that you got angry with me for teasing you."

"We've discussed that…"

"I know. But why can't you tell me you're proud of me when I'm not upset and visa versa? Why do you wait to tell me how wonderful I am until after you've made me feel bad or make me feel bad right after you've told me I'm exceptional?"

It was his turn to sigh. "Probably because that's when I'm reminding myself."

She twisted to stare at him, hurt again. "Am I that much of a burden? You have to remind yourself that there are good things about me?"

"No, cherished. That's not what I meant. It's when you're upset that I remember that you do have your…moments, negative moments. And that reminds me of everything I enjoy about you and our bond."

"Oh, Lewis, give me a break. That's when you wonder what you've stuck yourself with."

He chuckled at her wry tone. "More like what I've stuck you with, my own. I do understand that you have not only changed your lifestyle to be my mate, but that you've had to adjust to a completely different culture with different attitudes on just about everything. It's remarkable that we've had so relatively few problems with it."

"It doesn't feel remarkable."

"Still feeling useless, hmm?"

"As you well know."

"Yes." He lifted her and moved to sit back against the headboard then settled her on his lap, smiling as she automatically wrapped her right arm around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. "Well, then. What shall we do with you?"

"Besides sex?"

His jaw dropped before he felt the wave of mischief running through her. "Yes, my own, besides sex. Pleasure and usefulness are two very different things."

Keridwen chuckled and lifted her head to meet his eyes. "Sex isn't useful?"

"Enough. This is serious. You know that your distress is hard for me to deal with…and no, that's not selfish. I want your happiness, and it pains me to realize that you are so often depressed and that I can't seem to give you the support you need."

"It's just mood swings. Comes with the territory," she said, patting her abdomen.

We can't blame all of it on your pregnancy. Why don't we work together to find a way to help those _moods_?"

"How, Lewis? There still isn't anything useful for me to do."

"Perhaps we're just missing something." He placed his fingers against her lips as she began to protest. "Before you disagree, let's think about it, seriously. You have many skills, unique and valuable skills, we can review them and then think about what's needed here."

"You don't need me to do anything, you've already decided that. And I can't do anything for the faction…you don't want me to, and Mark can't tell me enough for me to help them because of you."

"I've never said I don't need your skills. I told you that it would be faster for me to catch up on my business without your help."

"Same thing."

"No, it's not. Cherished, you have three major fields of study; psychology, ah, parapsychology, genetics, and law."

"Four. Don't forget politics; I was raised on it."

"Very good, I had forgotten. Hmm, do you remember telling me that my people were missing a path that seemed to be obvious to you?"

Her smile was genuine this time. "Love; there are lots of things I think are obvious that no one else seems to get."

"Well, I was thinking of your suggestion about contacts…religious and civil leaders."

"Yes. That's kind of a biggie. Can we try that?"

"Ah, that's not quite what I had in mind. When the council first approached the American government it was because a number of anti-discrimination laws had been passed in the wake of the civil rights movement. There are still challenges and changes to those laws, and bills being presented for new, related laws…"

"You want to sue the government into giving you rights?" Her eyes widened. "You know, that might not be all that out there."

"Perhaps not."

"I could research it. Map out a strategy…not just a legal one, but a political one as well. Just because I didn't jump at Grandfather's every word doesn't mean I didn't get to know a lot of the power brokers."

"Yes, you could research the situation; see what opportunities may be out there." He grabbed her knee and guided it away from a vulnerable spot as she turned awkwardly to wrap both arms around him for a tight hug.

"Thank you, love!" He chuckled and kissed her proffered lips. "Oh. I'll need a computer and a phone number I can give out for return calls."

"I'll set up a phone line for you; we already have a computer."

"Well, yes. But you're on it a lot."

"Patience, cherished. I'm almost caught up with my business. Now that Tom is available, I need to work with him and ensure that he's regained all of the skills that were hampered by the memory blocks and programming. You'll have all the computer time you can handle."

"Good. You know what?"

"Ah…You love me?"

Keridwen laughed and hugged him again. "See, you knew that!"

... ...

Caryn frowned at the data. She'd managed to corral Ed and Keri, and for controls, Alexa, Amy, Beth, David, and Karl for CT scans and fluid samples. Would have been nice if she had another human male sample, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Well, Dr. Attwood and Mr. Peterson were returning for the wedding, maybe they could be…induced…into participating then. The data she did have continued to surprise her. Even though she'd expected Ed and Keri's stats to differ, the similarities between theirs and those of Karl and Alexa were not what she'd expected. Not that they weren't supposed to be similar, each in their own way. When it was broken down into pieces like this, the physical versus the psionic, the evolutionary leap wasn't all that big. But somehow…when the two were combined…whammo, one point six. Five tenths of a percent difference between the dominants and the sapiens, it was so incredibly amazing.

It was odd, though. Keri's psionic related stats were a lot closer to Alexa's than Ed's physiological were to Karl's, even though Ed and Keri were only two one hundredths of a percent apart. She'd compared them male to male and female to female to eliminate gender based discrepancies. There was something different going on with Keri than just the partial adaptation; she'd stake her career on it. Hmm, unless the psionic adaptation carried the bulk of the differential? She shook her head emphatically. No, that couldn't be. If it were, there would be a lot more psychics out there whose abilities were way too noticeable.

"You shouldn't shake your head so hard, sweetheart. All of those deliciously naughty ideas of yours might go flying out of it." Caryn couldn't hold back the smile as Jeff came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. "How is my West Texas rose this afternoon?"

"A little less lonely than she was when she woke up this morning," she informed him.

"Ouch. Okay, would you prefer that I'd woken you at five when Mark started having his tantrum over Anja's plan on how she could get back in with the council?"

She thought about that, and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "No, I guess not. Five in the morning…that's like, before dawn. What kind of people get up that early?"

Jeff laughed and let his hands slip up under her breasts as he kissed her jaw. "People that aren't getting any?"

"Well, that's his own fault, now isn't it? Why should he be making you suffer?"

"Because he can." He laughed as she rolled her eyes. "Seriously, sweetheart. It was an important issue…but now my time is yours."

"Good. Roll up your sleeve, you're gonna help me figure out what's going on with this data, and I want another strong empath sample."

... ...

Tom groaned as he hit the floor, rolled, and regained his feet again. Reconnecting his spatial sense with his combat skills was not going well. He knew the blindfold shouldn't make any difference, but he just wasn't picking up the feedback from Lewis as quickly as he should be. Hmm, maybe Lewis was masking? No, there he "Oooof!" was.

"You did better than this with your memories, blocked, Tom."

"Probably because I was working on instinct instead of classroom knowledge." He threw himself to his right and felt the whoosh of air as Lewis just barely missed him.

"Much better. If you'll recall, a lot of classroom time was spent on reminding you to trust your instincts."

That was true. But knowing you had to do something and actually doing it could be a stretch, particularly when it involved trusting in something you couldn't see or touch…like his bond with Sloan. He straightened and smiled. Lewis' confusion was suddenly easy to read and to pinpoint. Tensing, he waited…no, not yet. NOW. He moved and felt a satisfying impact where he'd shoved Lewis to the left by slamming into his shoulder. An even more satisfying crash told him that not only had Lewis been knocked off his feet, he'd been knocked into something. Then silence reigned.

Tom pulled the blindfold off and looked in the direction of the crash. Lewis was on the floor, half under a wooden device used for martial arts practice…one designed to spin as it was struck to simulate an immediate return attack. Hmm, he didn't look hurt, much.

"What did you do differently?" the older man asked, wincing as Tom helped him move the apparatus.

"I thought about Sloan." Lewis gave him a sour look and stood, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you okay?"

"I was."

"Lewis…"

The chuckle surprised him. "What about her helped you make the connection?"

"Well, it wasn't her, specifically, but the trust that's inherent to the bond. You can't quantify or otherwise measure the bond in any way, you just trust in your instincts to reach for it. I can't measure how I know where my attacker is…"

"Hmm, sloppy analogy, but, it worked. I suppose it will have to do."

"It will more than do." Tom looked his former mentor over and chuckled. "How are you going to explain the bruises to your mate?"

"How are _you_ going to explain to my mate that you've bruised me?"

Oh boy.


	3. Chapter 3

Anja was bored. Even though she'd been given the all clear to resume her normal activities only two days after her surgery, she'd run out of things to do. She could go find Carla and flaunt her swift recovery so that the woman would continue to stew. Since Lewis had instructed Keri and her not to inform the dominant physician of the three healing sessions that his mate had conducted, Carla believed that the ability to heal so swiftly was a genetic advantage in one she had been considering defective. Anja chuckled, remembering how perplexed the woman had been.

She'd already been swimming…for two hours. Her string bikini was still wet under the long t-shirt she wore. The shirt had been a get well gift from her surrogate birth sib. Keri had ordered it from The Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was black with a picture of a hungry looking male lion on it. The caption read: 'Here, human, human, human!' She loved it. Even Lewis had laughed. Hmm, maybe she should go visit with her sib and her sib's mate. Nah, it would be just her luck that Keri would want to go back to the stupid bridal shop for another fitting. This wedding thing was getting out of hand. She'd allowed herself to forget about all of the lace and the damned little frou-frou caps, but had been forcibly reminded of it yesterday when they had gone to have what the seamstress promised would be final fittings. Final fittings, HA! Despite her pregnancy, Keri had lost some weight, and her dress was being taken in. Again. Noooo, she was going to stay out of Keri's sight until her sib returned from checking out the alterations.

The training that Lewis had promised her was on hold, so that was out. He'd suggested she join the advanced training sessions that Alexa was giving to some of Karl's soldiers. Unfortunately, that wasn't happening, at least not this morning. Alexa hadn't shown up yet when she'd reported to Karl, and when he called the chameleon's suite he was told to reschedule the session for mid-afternoon. Karl had been irritated, and she'd caught him muttering something about distractions and Ed Tate as he'd stalked off.

Ah. The library. That's what she could do; there were tons of books that she could explore. David had pointed out a number of volumes that covered subjects she was interested in. She changed direction and headed into the main house. Before entering, she carefully wiped her bare feet on the mat and made sure her bathing suit was no longer dripping. The covering t-shirt was clinging to it and to her body, but with the heat so unseasonable, even by Fresno standards, it was now only damp. She padded down the deserted hall and reached for the library door, stepping back quickly when she sensed someone coming out. "Good morning, David," she greeted the sapiens doctor.

"Why, good morning, Anja. How are you feeling today? You look…ah…"

"Wet?" she supplied helpfully.

"That too, but I was going to say that you looked remarkably fit."

"Ja, I heal fast."

David chuckled. "Of course you do." He looked down the hall and bent closer to her. "I know what your sib can do, and I saw her with you," he whispered in her ear. "Watching Carla trying to figure it out has been the most fun I've had in ages." She laughed with him, one hand on his arm and nearly jumped when the study door was yanked open behind her.

"Were you done here, David?" Mark asked in a hard voice. "I need to have a word with Anja."

"Uh, yes. Anja, I'll see you later," he said, winked at her, and then strolled down the hall.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mark ground out after the man had turned the corner. "You've barely recovered from one ill-advised liaison, and already you're planning another?"

She stared at him, wondering if he'd lost his mind. "What are you talking about?"

"You're wearing next to nothing, and flirting with that sapiens. Considering his age the man is no doubt highly flattered by your attention, and will be overjoyed when you join him in his bed…"

"You know what? _Fuck_ you! That man is my friend, nothing more, and even that none of your business. _You _won't have me, so I will find pleasure anywhere I _damn_ well please!" Anja tried to push past him, only to find his hand around her throat. "Oh, what? You angry now?" She allowed him to spin her around and push her back against the wall. "So what's it going to be? You actually gonna be a man this time, or do I have to go look for a real one? You already got two strikes."

Anja shivered as he growled deep down in his throat. Now that was more like it. The only question was, would he actually act on it, or would he wuss out once again? She wasn't kidding about the two strikes. This was his last chance before she gave up on him…before he was 'out' as her sib would put it. She bared her teeth as his mouth descended to capture hers in a ruthless kiss. As she returned it, his hand slipped from her throat and joined the other in caressing her body through the thin cotton shirt. Then they moved under it, tugging urgently at the strings on her bikini bottom, finally ripping them off in frustration. "I claim you," he hissed. "You will accept that claim."

She heard the distinct sound of a zipper being opened, and laughed wildly as he firmly grasped her hips and lifted her. Her legs encircled him automatically, and she began to moan as she felt the head of his penis questing for her opening. Finally it began to press inside and she gasped at how widely she was spread. Wrapping her arms around his neck she allowed her head to drop back as she enjoyed the sensation of him slowly filling her…then overfilling her. "I knew it," she muttered. "Oh yesssssss…give it all to me!"

His mouth was on her exposed neck now, feeling her pulse and tasting her pheromones…teeth scraped her jugular and she shivered with excitement. He was actually going to try to dominate her! His fingers dug into her hips and he pulled her down sharply on his erection, dragging a shriek out of her. Scheisse, she thought. He was bigger than anyone she'd ever been with, or even coveted! Oh yes. Another growl welled up from him. "**_Accept my claim_**," he ordered as he pulled her up and then back down his hard staff.

Her moan turned into another wild laugh as she recognized his use of command voice. He was really going all out, he'd finally found his balls…and so had she. His head snapped up as her fingers closed on them. "Who is claiming who?" she demanded.

Mark froze as he realized the danger he was in. "You. Wanted. This," he bit out.

"I don't want someone to dominate me. I want real man, one to be my equal. Can you be that man?"

He grinned slowly and took possession of her lips, plundering her mouth, obviously confident that she would neither harm nor reject him. Pulling back and leaving her gasping, he said one word. "Yes."

Anja squirmed in his grasp, groaning again at the sensations that radiated from her core. "Then prove it," she demanded.

... ...

Tom smiled indulgently as he followed his bond mate down the hall, enjoying the sway of her hips as she continued her rather animated discourse on the physiology of the partially adapted…as she saw it. He was pleased that Sloan had found something to be enthusiastic about; she'd need the distraction as her pregnancy progressed. Hopefully Ed and Keri would be patient with her incessant questions.

She waited at the top of the steps for him to move up beside her. He slipped an arm around her waist as they began to descend. "Do you think we're too late for breakfast?" she asked. "I shouldn't have dawdled so long in the bath."

"I'm sure the cook can manage some breakfast food for you." He leaned towards her and brushed a soft kiss against her temple. "And you needed that long hot soak. In fact, we should probably go over to the training floor and use the whirlpool…I can reserve it for us."

"No, I'm fine." She looked up at his chuckle. "Really. And I mean good, not _fine_."

"Hmm, I guess I deserved that comment?"

"You'd better believe it."

"Okay, okay." They continued down the stairs in companionable silence. Tom frowned as he felt something intruding at the edge of his consciousness. He stopped, perplexed; Sloan halted five steps later, gasping in surprise.

"Oh my Go…!"

Her outburst came hard on the heels of his realization of what was happening in the foyer below. He flew down the remaining stairs, clamped a hand over her mouth and wrapping his other arm around her waist carried her back up the stairs to the third floor. He looked down the three corridors. The guard was walking down the hall that led to their suite, studiously examining the floor and walls. His heightened attention while on duty had no doubt alerted him to the…unexpected public activity, and he had removed himself as far as possible. Tom glanced at his outraged mate and decided he would not carry her past the man and embarrass her. He reached out for Lewis, then switched direction and carried Sloan down the main corridor to the master suite. Lewis met them at the door.

"Come in, Tom," he said. "You have a problem?" Lewis' left eyebrow was raised and his mouth was twitching in obvious amusement as he noticed the grip Tom had on Sloan. "I always did like your mate better with her mouth shut."

Sloan's eyes got even bigger, a feat he hadn't thought possible, and then they narrowed in anger. "Not funny, Lewis," he told his cousin once the door had been closed behind them. He released his outraged mate and braced himself for the expected tantrum.

"Tom! I can't believe you did that. Didn't you see what was going on down there?"

"I didn't have to see it, I felt it, and that's why I pulled you away, to give them some privacy."

"Oh, like it's my fault someone couldn't keep their private business in a private place?"

He sighed. Sloan wouldn't understand. Hell, he barely understood it; he'd always been able to restrain his baser impulses. Of course, that was one of the first lessons that Lewis' chameleons learned. Their appetites could not control them. "I'm sure there's a good reason for…"

"What good reason could there possibly be for people to be…rutting like animals in the hall?"

"Wait a minute, who was doing what, where?" Keri asked from her perch on the window seat.

"I don't know who, Tom carried me back upstairs before I got low enough to see their faces. But someone, two people were having sex in the hall by the library!" She was still wound up. "The man was Mark or Karl, God only knows who the woman was."

"Oh dear." Keri bit her lip as she set her book down and then put her hand over her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle a laugh. "Anja must have finally got through to Mark," she snickered.

Tom frowned. He'd been fairly certain the male was Mark, but how did Keri know? "Why not Karl," Sloan asked before he could open his mouth.

"Easy. Karl's girlfriend isn't here yet, he's crazy about her, and he wouldn't be having sex with anyone else, let alone doing it in the hall downstairs. On the other hand, Anja and Mark have been the most sexually frustrated pair I've ever seen…"

"Not quite, my own. I believe we earned that title on the motorcycle trip to Pasadena."

"Oh. Right. Okay, well, still…Anyway; Mark is usually working in his study across from the library at this time of day. Anja must have finally managed to push him over the edge. It's about time."

"They could have picked somewhere else," Sloan said crossly.

Lewis chuckled. "Even sterile males have mating urges, Sloan. And unless one is thoroughly trained to resist them, a female they want badly enough can induce them to forget everything except the conquest."

"It's disgusting."

Keri was snickering again, though her cheeks were red. "I don't know, I think it's kind of cute."

"My own, you at least had the privacy of a restroom when I lost control. What would you have thought if we had…indulged ourselves in the diner, or outside in full view?" Hmm, much to Tom's surprise, Lewis seemed to be supporting Sloan's point of view.

She sighed. "I suppose. Besides, we did that, too."

Tom's eyes widened in surprise, Sloan was staring at the other couple as well. "Lewis, I'm shocked. You had sex outside?" He stifled a chuckle as his mentor turned a baleful look on him.

"It was a secluded area, with no one within miles. We had complete privacy."

"Geez, are we the only ones that haven't had sex in a public place?" Sloan asked Tom somewhat rhetorically.

Lewis looked at him, absolute deviltry in his eyes. "Well…" he began.

"Lewis, don't."

"Mustn't keep secrets from your bond mate Tom." Lewis began to chuckle at the exasperation in his eyes. "You may be the only _couple_, Sloan. But you are the only _one_."

Sloan stared at Lewis with her mouth open, blushing as understanding dawned. Tom held his breath, wondering just how his rather proper mate was going to take this. "I see," she finally said, then turned to him. "Well Tom, I guess that's something we're going to have to correct."

... ...

Mark groaned at Anja's fierce command. Her wet heat contracted around him tightly enough to be uncomfortable and her mind was open to him. He could feel her joy in their shared passion and specifically that the passion was shared with _him_. The hand that had held his testes hostage had released them and was now snaked around his neck, helping to fuse their mouths together. The other held his left biceps in a grip that was certain to leave bruises…a thing to be proud of when coupling with a warrior such as Anja. "I am as much yours as you are mine," he told her.

Her knees were pressing into his sides, lifting her up. He gasped as they relaxed their hold and she slid back down his turgid staff. So damn tight. "I hold you to that, you know."

He was the one who laughed this time. "I'm counting on it," he said, then pressed her back against the wall and began to thrust urgently. Her moans and half-shrieks didn't quite drown out his sounds of ecstasy. Mark reveled in the pressure of her heels in his back urging him on. His Anja was as wild and fierce in mating as she was in combat. He _would_ find a way to deserve her.

After a particularly powerful thrust Anja gasped and began rocking and twisting in his arms. Her muscles clenched him tightly as he felt the pleasure of a massive orgasm race through her. Before he could shift to match her frenzy, her teeth closed convulsively on the tendon that ran from his neck to his shoulder. "More, damn it!" she screamed. He grinned and began to plunge more powerfully into her core.

He was close, so damned close to exploding inside of her. His head snapped up as a sob escaped her. Anja's movements were frantic and he met her needs with every bit of strength he possessed. Mark shook as he climaxed, pouring his semen inside her. Her eyes were closed and a beatific smile curved her lips. "Anja?" he whispered hoarsely.

The charcoal gray eyes flew open and she began to chuckle. "See?" she said. "I knew you would be the best." He shook his head in wonder as she rested hers on his shoulder. "So much hotter knowing there's no way we're making babies. Way better," she concluded; her tone triumphant.

Laughing at her expression he straightened, then belatedly realized where they were. "Oh, shit.

"What?"

"I don't believe we just did this in the hall."

"Anyplace a good place for a hot fuck," she said with a shrug.

He stared at her, openmouthed. Her wild and free ways were going to take a lot of getting used to for someone as orderly as he was. Mark tried to disengage and frowned when her legs closed more tightly around him. "Anja, let go. We're out in the hall."

Her head lifted and she frowned at him. "So? We're not done yet."

While his complexion didn't really show a blush, he could feel the warmth rise in his cheeks. "I'd like to take this to a bed, there's a lot more we could do there."

Anja shrugged. "Then take us to bed," she told him and settled herself more comfortably on his hardening shaft

Mark groaned. His new life mate was going to be impossible. Lewis would be vastly amused by the trials and tribulations he could now anticipate. "Like this?" he asked. "Up the stairs and through the halls with you…ah…" he trailed off, bewildered.

"Attached." She squirmed slightly, wresting another groan from him. "Oh yeah, definitely while still attached," she said, grinding herself down on his now rock hard penis. Her moan was very self-satisfied, and her eyes were full of the mischief he could feel emanating from her.

What the hell, he thought. All of the gifted occupants of the house probably already knew what was going on. They hadn't exactly been quiet about it…physically or mentally. "As you wish." He turned toward the stairs and stopped as he stepped on something. Looking down he saw the remains of Anja's bikini bottom under his foot.

She looked down too, and grinned at him. "Leave it," she told him, her very tone a challenge. He smiled back at her and met her challenge…as an equal.

... ...

Ed woke up with the mid-morning sun in his eyes. What the hell? His windows faced west. He frowned, tried to get up and then realized someone was laying half on top of him. Alexa. Oh yeah. A ridiculously pleased smile crept up on him, and he found himself staring down at her and grinning. The night had been even more exciting than the one he had spent with the Capelli twins…any of the nights he had spent with them, for that matter. Alexa had proved to be totally uninhibited and totally…hot. He reached out and stroked a lock of the dark blonde hair that rested on her shoulder. It had felt so damned good in his hands as they had made love. Ed frowned. He had been making love; he still had no idea how Alexa really felt. Of course, he was fairly certain that she didn't know either. The expression on her face when he had arrived at her door precisely at nine last night had betrayed the nervousness and uncertainty that he had been unable to feel from her. She'd silently stepped back, holding the door open so that he could enter, closed it behind him, standing awkwardly. It hadn't mattered. Ed had learned how to make the first move.

Alexa's surprise when he had taken her in his arms and held her close had been priceless…especially when she'd realized that he was already aroused. She'd also shown that she was well versed in pop culture by asking 'Do you have a rabbit in your pocket or are you just glad to see me'. He'd smiled and showed her just how glad he was to see her. Doing the suave lover thing had worried him at first. She was damn near six foot tall in her stocking feet…five foot ten at least, and he'd been afraid that lifting her and carrying her to the bed would be awkward. It hadn't been. Her eyes had widened when he picked her up, but she had resisted the temptation to question his ability to safely complete the maneuver by firmly biting down on her lower lip. He'd noticed the teeth showing as he carried her through the bedroom door and smiled down at her. After settling her down on the queen-sized bed he'd run his thumb over the now slightly swollen lip and chided her, telling her that biting it was his job. She'd given him that mega-watt smile and the evening had gotten even better from there on out.

Now it was morning and they'd missed their run. Not that either of them needed any more exercise after their marathon night. Ed had lost track of how many times he'd climaxed, only to be aroused again by her questing fingers or lips. They'd come together explosively and he'd been glad that the suites on either side of Alexa's were still unassigned. He wasn't sure which of them had been more vocal. He stared at the long blonde eyelashes that rested on her soft cheeks. She was so damn beautiful, regally so, and he couldn't believe his good fortune that she wanted and even cared for him. Her eyes opened and he lost himself in the brilliant blue of her irises. "God, you are so damn beautiful." The words slipped out before he could even consider what she might think of the compliment. Ed sighed in relief as she smiled.

Alexa slipped off of him and turned on her side. Once he had turned to face her she slipped her arms around him and pulled him close. He swallowed as she then wrapped her legs around him so that his just awakening cock brushed against the blonde curls that covered her mound. "Good morning to you, too," she said throatily before claiming his lips in a languorous kiss. He felt his eyes drift shut as the sensations overwhelmed him. Just when he'd thought it couldn't get any better, her tongue slipped inside his mouth to stroke his. He moaned and let his hands drift down her back to cup her firm round ass and press her hard against his growing erection.

... ...

Karl waited patiently for Jeffrey to meet him in the library. He'd spoken…well, communicated with Tracie and needed to confirm a time and place for Jeff's people to pick her up. He turned toward the door as he sensed someone male approaching; so well shielded that he was unable to identify him. Tom entered and Karl relaxed back into his chair.

"Hiding out?" Tom asked him.

"Waiting for Jeffrey. He's going to finalize a transport for me."

"Oh. The young lady Keri mentioned?"

Keri had told Tom? Of course she had, after all, she'd promised to talk to Lewis about supporting Tracie in front of the others. "Yes. She needs to be picked up in Seattle."

"Hmm. That works out well." Karl frowned as he watched Tom pull out a cell phone and a slip of paper from his pocket. A number was entered, and then evidently answered. "This is Tom," he said. "How close are you to Seattle? Good. Well, we're going to have people in the area for a pick up, and I can arrange for you to meet them. I'll call you back as soon as it's confirmed." Tom punched a button on the phone again and returned it to his pocket.

"Something I should know about?" Karl asked and then looked back at the door as Jeffrey finally arrived.

"Security-wise? No. Walter called me; he'd heard from a boy…one of us, that helped us expose the council's plans with nanites and clued us in on Copeland's work with the Spanish Influenza. I'd given him some money and a prepaid cell phone, and told him to get lost for a while…the money has run out, and he doesn't have any identification. He's having trouble even getting work as a day laborer."

"Let me guess," Jeffrey said as he took a seat. "Another pick up?"

"If you don't mind. He's close to Seattle, said he could get there within an hour."

"Convenient. Maybe too convenient?"

Karl frowned. "No one outside of this facility knew about Tracie or where she was. Not even my men knew that she and I had…uh…connected."

"And the message from Shane came in the mail; the cell phone that he had the number for was confiscated by Ashton. His letter was postmarked before Karl arrived here. I just had Walter pick up my mail from the post office box on Friday."

"Good. Sounds like a fortuitous coincidence, then."

"Fortuitous?" Tom began to chuckle. "Jeffrey, are you trying to improve your vocabulary to impress Dr. T?"

"No," Jeffrey said with what Karl interpreted as a superior air. "I can impress Caryn without any words at all."

Karl struggled to hold back a snicker and failed. Tom was also laughing, so he was in good company. "Okay," Karl finally managed. "Enough of that. I've got to get back to the TDD phones before the Student center closes. Where should Tracie meet her escort, and how will she know they're ours?"

"TDD phones?" Tom questioned.

Hmm, evidently Keri had not fully briefed them. Ah, well. If any of his people could understand, Tom would. "Yes. Tracie is deaf."

"Oh. Is the transport team aware of that, Jeffrey? Might be a problem with them." Tom's tone showed that it wasn't one with him.

"It's not a problem. I've made it quite clear that Tracie is important to us and should be delivered with all due care."

Karl let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding. "Thank you."

... ...

"Lewis, you're walking too fast," Keridwen complained, grabbing his hand. "I won't be able to breathe if I try to keep up."

He glanced back and smiled. Her face was slightly pink from the exertion…he _had_ been walking fast; at a pace sapiens would consider a jog. Walking it, however, was much kinder on the joints, even dominant ones. "You're doing quite well, my own. Have you weighed yourself lately?" He shortened his stride so that she could get enough air to respond.

"Yes, after we got back from the dressmaker's. I'm down sixteen pounds since we met."

"Excellent. You're looking much more fit as well." He tucked her hand around his arm and slowed to a true walking pace. "I'm very proud of you. You've not missed one exercise session, and you've been eating nutritiously."

She blushed and ducked her head. "Well, except for a few notable exceptions," she murmured. Lewis gave her a questioning look; she felt his confusion and continued. "The truffles?"

"Ah. Well, that was a special occasion. Besides, more went down the bathtub drain than down your throat. Remind me to find a less messy treat next time."

"Oh, but that was _so_ much fun." Her lips pursed wickedly. "Do you like chocolate?"

He chuckled, knowing where she was going with that. "Not that much." Her disappointment washed over him and Lewis knew that if he looked, he'd see her sporting her world-class pout. "I'd much rather taste you than chocolate. Hmm, I'm sure we can find a substitute for the truffles."

Her sunny smile returned. "Oh yes. Tonight?"

Drawing her off the running path, he sat down on a bench and pulled her down on his lap. "You'd like that, would you?" He struggled to keep a serious expression in the face of her solemn nod. "Hmm." While he mentally reviewed the contents of the kitchen he nuzzled her cheek, letting his eyes drift closed so that he could fully concentrate on her scent and her reactions. If she were taking this lightheartedly enough he would continue to tease her, but he had to be certain not to take it too far.

"Oh, Lewis…if you have to _think_ about it, just forget it."

"What I have to think about, my own, is a good substitute for the chocolate."

"Oh." She rested her forehead against his and frowned thoughtfully. "Banana?"

He blinked, considering the possibilities. Keridwen grinned, feeling his sudden arousal make itself known both through the bond and…he groaned as she wriggled on his lap. "Young lady, if you continue that, we may outdo your sib in public exposure," he warned.

"Humph. Promises, promises." She slipped off of his lap and tried to pull him to his feet. "Well, come on. We've got a kitchen to raid."

"Cherished, my control is not superhuman; I'm not getting up for the moment. There's enough talk and speculation about me as it is."

She looked down at his lap and…smirked. The cheeky brat was smirking at him! "But I _like_ being envied," she said, her voice petulant.

"If you continue to smirk at me, I'm going to think you need a spanking."

"Oooh, again with the promises." He groaned as she hiked up her skirt and straddled his lap. His arms automatically slipped around her waist to settle her more comfortably. "Am I going to get the spanking first or the banana?" she whispered.

He looked around and then put her back on her feet. Standing, he headed for the former storage building, tugging her along behind him; the construction crew had finished work for the day. "The spanking," he informed her tersely. "We don't have any bananas with us." Her laughter rang out as she picked up her pace. He looked around warily. "Unlike a certain other member of our family, I prefer privacy. Please keep it down."

"I will if you will," she said, patting his erection through his slacks.

"Very funny. You're just begging for that spanking, aren't you?" To the sound of her laughter, Lewis ducked in through a side doorway that had not yet been hung with its door and stopped to look around. The crew was cleaning up after themselves regularly, commendable. Finally he spotted what he was looking for. Through another doorway was a low built in counter, no doubt intended to hold tabletop equipment when the building was complete. Not particularly comfortable looking, but it would do. He led her into the room and closed the door that was already in place at that room's entry.

"Kind of Spartan, don't you think?" He didn't respond and instead lifted her to sit on the counter. Reaching under her skirt he found her lacy underpants and tugged at them insistently. Keridwen refused to cooperate and gave him a mock-horrified look. "Why Lewis, _whatever_ do you think you're doing?" she said. Her mouth was twitching as she held in her laughter.

His eyes narrowed. If she wanted to play games, so be it. In less than a heartbeat he'd ripped off the offending undergarment, tipped her back to lie on the cool surface, and had pushed her skirt up around her waist. She chuckled and evidently decided it was now time to cooperate. Her legs spread in invitation; it was all he could do not to take her that very second. With one hand he gently caressed her pubis, dragging his thumb down the length of the fold that enclosed her sex. She moaned and spread her legs wider, bracing her heels on the edge of the counter. He smiled, parted her with both hands and leaned in to taste the moisture that had already gathered in response to their banter. His mate whimpered as he tongued her sensitive clitoris and she pushed up with her heels to lift herself closer to the tantalizing pressure. "Eager, my own?"

"Oh, yeah. We haven't had sex since the night before last," she complained.

"Hmm, well, whose fault is that?" He smiled at her automatic pout. By the time he'd finished in his study last night, his mate had been sound asleep. Instead of waking her, he'd chosen to lie beside her, one hand on her chest to feel the beat of the heart that he could just faintly hear. Then she had slept late while he attended to the business of some of his investments. "You needed the sleep," he allowed.

"Not sleepy now," she insisted, gasping when his tongue began flicking the small button of flesh between her legs. "God, I love that."

"Even though I learned it when I was…"

"Lewis! If you want to get any, you will drop that subject…now!"

He chuckled and resumed her favorite form of foreplay, varying the speed and tempo of his attentions. She began panting in earnest and shuddered when he slipped two fingers into her wet sheath. He pulled back to watch her face while he thrust gently…watching her pleasure build was almost as incredible as feeling it through their bond. "You are beautiful, Keridwen," he told her.

She chuckled nervously, as she often did when he paid her compliments, but he did not feel the usual self-doubts surface. Good. She was finally dealing with her self-esteem issues. "Lewis," she said, squirming against his hand. "I need more."

"More compliments, cherished?"

Keridwen rolled her eyes. "Nooo. Come on, I need you inside me!"

"Hmm. I'd thought that what you needed was a spanking for your impertinence." He smiled as she blushed and her muscles clenched on his busy fingers. She was aroused by the thought, interesting. It was probably only curiosity, but he would certainly oblige her. He removed his fingers from her now dripping canal and bent to taste of the liquid sex. She moaned, disappointed as he moved slightly away. "Patience." She frowned and watched as he removed his shirt and folded it to make a pad. Lifting her to sit up on the counter, he placed the garment down and helped her move to her knees, using the shirt to soften the surface for her.

"Lewis…what are…"

"Hush, my own. You'll get what you deserve soon enough." Alarm raced through her and he bit back a laugh. Pressing her down until her entrance was in position; he unzipped and then guided his penis to it and thrust in firmly. She gasped at the sudden intrusion, moaning in pleasure. His mate was incredibly sensual and responsive. "Ready now, my own?"

"Ohhh, yes. Take me, love. Please. I need you so much."

"Of course." He obeyed, beginning the ancient rhythm that would soon give her the release she craved. Her moans were delicious and he continued, allowing her to get lost in the sensations.

Her canal clenched and her back stiffened in shock as the sharp slap echoed through the room. "Lewis!" she shrieked, and looked back at him with dismay.

"Don't I always give you what you ask for, Keridwen?" he asked, spanking her soft bottom once again. She jerked back against him, moaning. He could feel the pleasure shooting through her body…he'd learned all ways of giving that pleasure and was gauging exactly how much force to use in order to arouse rather then harm. The current level would startle her just enough to make her muscles tighten and increase the friction and pressure of his hard member as it plunged inside, but would leave no mark other than a slight redness that would quickly fade.

"I didn't ask for this," she claimed, her voice petulant rather than upset. Another shriek was wrested from her as his hand connected with her buttocks again. "Oh godddd…Lewissss…that is…ohhh."

Lewis suppressed a groan as she tightened around him again. The actual 'punishment' was in not allowing her to know how much enjoyment her physical reactions to the spanking gave to _him_. He continued his penetrations, administering a light slap at irregular intervals. Her moans were almost constant now, and she twisted under his touch, all but throwing herself back against his straining staff. Neither of them would last much longer at this rate. His hand connected one more time as he felt her convulse in a wild orgasm. She was sobbing now, rocking mindlessly as he continued to thrust into her tightness. "Keridwen, ah, my own," he ground out as he came deep within her. The groan escaped now as his ejaculation triggered a second and even more intense orgasm in his writhing mate.

Keridwen was still sobbing when he sat on the counter and gathered her into his arms. He stroked her back with one hand and cupped one cheek of her reddened bottom in the other. A shudder ran through her and she sniffed and hiccupped twice before taking a deep breath and looking up at him. He smiled at the sight of her tearstained cheeks and kissed each one before claiming her slightly trembling lips. Her return kiss was hungry and her arms tightened around him in a fierce hug. Then one corner of her mouth turned up in a wicked smile. "So when do I get the banana?" she asked.

**ELSEWHERE**

Shane walked away from the Greyhound bus station and looked for the street signs. Ah, there it was. Consulting the directions hastily scrawled on a napkin, he headed north and took a left at the second traffic light. The city bus stop beckoned. He read the sign then checked his pockets. Yes, he had exact change. Leaning back against the post he waited for the bus to arrive.

A police officer was eyeing him. In his somewhat bedraggled coat, wearing jeans that were about two inches too short since his recent growth spurt, and the converse sneakers with the unintentional 'air conditioning', he supposed the man was justified in thinking him suspicious. He smiled calmly, checked his watch, and looked down the street in the direction the bus would be coming from. "Son, you got any identification?" the officer asked.

Damn, his calm demeanor hadn't soothed the suspicions. "Um, no sir, not on me. Lost my wallet at school last week and I haven't had the chance to get my license and student ID replaced."

The man looked him up and down. "Where do you live?" he asked.

"I live in LA, but I was going to school in Eugene."

"Oregon? What are you doing here?"

"Meeting up with family. They're visiting Seattle and brought my birth certificate from home so I can get a new license. The extra airfare would have cost them too much to stop off in Oregon, so I hopped the bus and came up here."

"I see." He didn't look convinced.

"You want me to call my dad so you can talk to him?" he asked, producing his cell phone. The cell did the trick. The police officer came to the conclusion that he wasn't an indigent.

"No son, that's all right. You've got enough money to get to your folks?"

Shane grinned and pulled out his obviously new wallet and flashed a twenty-dollar bill and some ones. "Sure. Already have my bus ticket back paid for, too." He half held his breath at that little lie…the 'ticket' in his wallet was the receipt half of the fare he'd paid to get here…and it wasn't from Eugene.

"That's fine, son. Is that your bus?"

Thank creation, it was. "Yes, sir. Sure is."

"You have a nice day."

"Thank you, officer. You too." Shane hopped on the bus and put his fare in the box. It wasn't crowded and he quickly found a seat and sank down into it with a sigh of relief. Good thing the bus ticket hadn't cost the full fifty dollars that Tom had wired him. No ID and no money along with grungy clothes could get you a quick trip to the station house. Probably wouldn't have been too big of a deal in a major city like Seattle, they'd probably have sent him to a relief agency. But he'd already spent a few days in a small town jail cell. He shuddered. Not a good thing when you're trying to lay low. It was a damn good thing the sheriff was pissed with the FBI over some jurisdictional issue, or he'd have run his fingerprints…and that would have alerted the council. He looked out the window to check the addresses flashing by. Another twelve blocks before his stop, he settled back in his seat.

... ...

So much to pack, and no time to pack it. Not that she was complaining; she'd been so happy to hear from Karl that nothing else really mattered. He'd promised that he would come back for her, but she hadn't expected it. His people didn't really love, he'd explained to her, and they didn't 'coddle their defectives'. Defectives. Tracie snorted derisively. She'd show them defective. Though maybe she wouldn't have to. Karl's eagerness to assure her that the people he'd joined would accept her had come through even with just seeing his words on a screen. Groaning she looked around at all of the collectibles and books she'd have to leave behind. Life just wasn't fair. Why couldn't Karl just forget about this faction thing and come live with her? Because, dummy, the government is looking for him, she reminded herself. Ah well.

The lights that flashed when her doorbell was 'rung' startled her. Surely they weren't here already? She ran to the door and looked out the peephole. A young man in a ragged looking army style coat and old faded jeans waited outside. He didn't look dangerous. Tracie shifted from one foot to the other and chewed on her thumbnail. Trying to decide whether to answer it, she looked through the peephole again. The kid was scrawling something on a piece of paper. He bent down, and she saw the paper slide under the door. She waited until it was all the way through before picking it up. It read: 'Hi, I'm Shane. Karl's friends are going to pick us both up. Can I come in to wait? I'll understand if you want me to wait downstairs.'

Okay, if he knew about Karl and he knew enough not to try and shout through the door at her, he must be legit. She opened the door and motioned for him to enter. He nodded, made sure she was looking at his face and said "Thank you. I was kind of worried another cop might start looking at me if I stayed on the street." Hmm, he was a polite enough kid.

"No problem," she told him carefully. "Maybe you can help me pack?"

His look of surprise was priceless. "Uh, I was told you were deaf."

"I am."

He frowned. "You don't sound deaf; your voice isn't flat or off key."

"Wasn't born deaf. I had an accident New Year's eve before last."

"Oh. Okay, that explains it." He looked around the now messy apartment then back at her. "Tom didn't say you were pretty."

She frowned. "Who is Tom?"

"A man that Karl is working with. He's my friend. Really great guy; probably saved my life."

"Is that the same Tom that Karl met up north?"

"Yeah, in Alaska."

Tracie smiled. "Karl told me about him. Said he was really trustworthy…and that he had a human girlfriend."

The kid, Shane, winced. "Ah, look. I know you don't know any better, but we're human too. We're just not homo sapiens-sapiens."

"I thought it was just one sapiens?"

"Well, yeah, until we came along. Homo sapiens is our parent species, so our scientists reclassified it all. Yours will probably get around to doing it right eventually. We're being called homo dominant by your government, but ours calls us homo sapiens-dominant."

"Oh…then what do I call one of us so I don't offend anyone else?"

"I'm not offended," he hastened to assure her. "Just wanted you to know, okay?" He grinned at her tentative nod. "We call your people sapiens and ours dominants for short."

"Okay…so Tom has a sapiens girlfriend."

"Yeah, Sloan. She's pretty nice. Kinda cute too, but she's a little old, you know?"

Tracie frowned. According to Karl, the woman couldn't be much more than thirty. "She's not old; she's just not a kid."

Shane shrugged. "For us, she'd be too old to be interested in, unless she was a preferred breeder. Then it's okay so long as she's still fertile." He leaned against the back of her sofa. "Guess Karl didn't get around to telling you too much about our culture, huh?"

"Well, we didn't have all that much time together, and we were more interested in each other."

"That's cool." His grin turned mischievous. "Wonder what else he didn't tell you…"

"I don't want to know," she interjected. For all she knew, Shane would tell her Karl was married or had a…a dominant girlfriend.

"Okay, your choice. So, you taking all this stuff?"

She exhaled slowly. "No, only the clothes, the PC stuff, and some of the books."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure they've got better computer equipment there."

"I wouldn't bet on it," she sniffed. "I've got a lot of customizations that aren't on the market. And, I've got too damn much on my hard drive to back up in time. So no matter what, I've got to take the CPU."

"Okay…those the boxes?" he asked, pointing to the pile of flattened cardboard boxes and several bags of packing material she'd pulled out of the closet. She wrinkled her nose and nodded. "Oh boy. Three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle…might be fun. I'll get on that so you can get your clothes packed and pick out which books you've got to have." He gave her what she could swear was an envious look. "All I was able to take were the clothes on my back."

Biting her lip she patted his arm. "I'm sorry. And thanks; I was having a pity party for myself because I had to leave my other stuff behind. Guess it's not so bad after all." He nodded ruefully and then started working on disconnecting her equipment.

**STILL ELSEWHERE**

"What do you mean they're gone? Damien thundered.

Randall winced and pulled the phone away from his ear. He reflexively rubbed the attacked ear then put the phone to the other one. "Just what I said. They were checked into a motel here, under their own names, for over a week. This morning they checked out. The address they gave to the desk clerk was bogus, I've already been there."

"Damn it. Perhaps they've eliminated all of the other possibilities and realized that we have Peterson's family," he mused.

"Could be. Or something happened to interrupt their investigation."

"We're talking about the man's family, I don't…hell. Do you think they have my Anja?"

"No clue. There's no record in any of the LA hospitals either."

"How did you check all of them when you've only been there a few hours?"

"Already had a local contact. Totally trustworthy."

"Female?"

Randall snickered. "No." His uncle was evidently worried about him producing more potentially dangerous hybrids and leaving them out among the sapiens where that potential would be realized.

"Good. We've enough problems with your indiscriminant escapades."

"I'm quite discriminating, actually. I'll keep heading south and check out the rest of the route. Attwood and Peterson will show themselves eventually; then I'll deliver your message."

Damien's heavy sigh was clearly audible, even with the poor connection. "Keep me informed."

"Right." He turned the cell off and returned it to the pocket of his Dockers. "Yeah, right. Damn idiot. Little tramp is probably half way across the country, screwing everything with balls…or maybe even without," he muttered as he got back into the Porsche.


	4. Chapter 4

Anja stretched and then grinned at the sensation of hard arms possessively encircling her waist. She snuggled back into the equally hard body behind her and sighed in contentment. For an arbiter, Mark sure kept himself in prime shape, she mused. Most of their non-combatants simply maintained fitness. Maybe Mark did not consider himself a noncombatant because of his position with the coexistence faction? Yes, she decided, that must be it.

Those leanly muscled arms tightened around her, then relaxed as his hands began to caress her torso…gently at first, then more demandingly. A moan escaped her lips as strong fingers kneaded her breasts and teased the soft peaks into hardness. One of Mark's hands abandoned the petite mounds and slipped down to play in the dark curls that covered her sex. The other moved to lift her hair from her neck so that warm lips could nuzzle the column of her throat. She moaned again as pressure was applied to her already swollen clitoris, the wet heat of his tongue stroked the rim of her ear as she squirmed in Mark's embrace. "Good morning," he whispered.

Gasping as two fingers entered her already wet canal; she arched back against him, chuckling as she felt his arousal press against her ass. "Ohhh, it's very good morning," she murmured, then tried to turn in his grasp; tried being the operative word. He really did work out a great deal more than she had expected. While she had a few tricks she could use to break free, they would inflict bodily harm…and she had no wish to harm the body that had given her so much pleasure. "Mark, let me loose," she muttered crossly.

"What, you don't want this?" he asked as he lifted her upper leg and guided his erection to her entrance from behind her.

She groaned as he began to sheathe himself within her from the unexpected angle. The pressure was exquisite. "No…ah, yes, oh, you know what I mean," she complained.

"Mmm. Yes, dear Anja, I do." His cock pressed deep within her, drawing out yet another moan. She began to shudder as he stroked in and out with a slow but steady rhythm. His hands had moved again. One had returned to her breasts and the other to mercilessly tease her aching sex. "Is this what you want?" he asked.

"Oh, hell yes." She twisted her hips as his thrusts quickened and became deeper. Her moan was long and drawn out as the friction and repeated impact against her g-spot sent her to incredible heights. His hands worked ceaselessly to increase her pleasure, pinching and twisting her swollen nipples, rapidly stroking and gently squeezing her clitoris. Mark was also losing himself in the sensations, she could tell. The penetrations had become almost frantic, and he had closed his teeth around the tendons in her neck in a vain attempt to stifle his moans. Her laugh was wild and triumphant as his muscles tightened, signaling his imminent ejaculation.

Mark looked down at the woman resting in his arms. Her contented expression was almost cat-like, and he could feel the hum of satisfaction in her aura. He shook his head. Why in creation had he waited so long to take her? Anja and her sib were right… he _was_ an idiot about women.

Glancing over at the clock, he moaned. It was mid-morning and he had already missed a phone conference. Spending the rest of the previous day in bed with Anja had upset his time sense. He stroked the sleeping female's soft cheek and then moved to get out of the bed.

"And you think you are going where?" she snarled.

"I have business to take care of; as you well know."

"You have me to take care of."

He bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from smiling at her mutinous half-pout. "I have duties, so do you. We both took off the entire day yesterday to enjoy each other. Today we must work…we will have tonight." And many nights to come, he added silently.

Her put-upon sigh almost broke his control. She'd likely do him damage if he didn't keep a straight face. He watched quietly as she rolled her eyes and trailed a hand down his torso…and then caressed his genitals. "Think about me today, hmm?" she suggested as she slipped out of bed and strolled toward the bathroom.

Mark dropped back on the mattress with a groan. After that little stunt he wouldn't be able to think about anything else. Gritting his teeth he left the bed and began setting out his clothing for the day. His first order of business now needed to be a cold shower.

... ...

The scent of banana had not quite left the bed with Lewis, Keri noticed. Some of it must have smeared on the sheets…or maybe on her. She stretched and then decided she'd stayed in bed long enough. Slipping off of the raised mattress she encountered a slightly gooey cool substance. Yep, she thought ruefully, banana all over the sheets. The housekeeping crew was going to have a laugh over this one…and they'd _just_ stopped talking about the chocolate! She took a shower rather than a bath. Baths were a disappointment when Lewis wasn't bathing her. He definitely had her spoiled. Once her hair was washed and conditioned, and she'd gotten her body clean of every speck of banana, she rinsed off and climbed out. Her foot caught on the high edge of the antique reproduction tub, and she staggered sideways, hopping on the other foot.

"Keridwen," Lewis began as he caught her. "Can I not leave you alone for a minute?"

She looked up at him, realizing he was teasing her to hide his concern. "Nope. Not even for a second. In fact, we should probably go back to bed and just stay there forever. After we get the sheets changed, that is."

"Hmm, you think that's our best option?"

"Of course." She wrapped her arms around his waist as he set her back on both feet. "You know I'm addicted to cuddling."

"Only cuddling?"

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks; no doubt they were bright red. "Well," she finally managed, "You might be capable of marathon sex, but we both know that I'm not. So cuddling will have to do."

Lewis chuckled, and reached for the seldom-used hair dryer. "Sit down, cherished, and let me dry your hair."

"It's going to be too straight if you use that."

"Your hair will be dripping all day if I don't," he countered. His eyebrow rose as she glanced up at him and sighed. "I'll only use it on the underside," he assured her. "And since it will be washed again during your hair salon appointment it will curl right back up."

Keri relaxed as he began the long process. He really was doing it very well. She frowned. "Where did you learn to take care of women's hair? You're almost professional."

"Almost?" The eyebrow rose again as he met her gaze in the mirror. "One of my assignments as a chameleon in the late seventies was in an upscale salon in Georgetown…just outside of DC."

"As a hair stylist?" It was her turn to have raised eyebrows when he nodded. "What, you went from being a SEAL to dressing hair? Jeez." A thought occurred and she snickered.

"What are you thinking, my own?" he asked in a suspicious tone. The man knew her too well. "Out with it."

"It's just that back then, the only men…or males I should say, that worked as hair stylists were gay."

"Did you ever see the movie Shampoo, starring Warren Beatty?" he asked.

"Uh, I don't think so. Are you trying to change the subject, love?"

"No. He played a hair stylist. All of his clients' husbands assumed he was homosexual because of that stereotype. The women knew better and he was having affairs with most of them. You'd be amazed at the number of our covert operations that were based in part on movie plots."

"Let me guess, you were having affairs with the wives, daughters, and mistresses of the Washington elite and getting information out of them."

"Exactly."

"Damn it, Lewis. Is there anything you haven't done?" She held up a hand as he opened his mouth to respond. "That was a rhetorical question. I don't really want to know."

He smiled and nuzzled the back of her neck before releasing her half-dried hair. "Get dressed, my own. You have a big day today. Nails, hair…and what else?"

"Spa. I'm getting body polishing, a facial, and an aromatherapy massage."

Lewis' expression was pained. "Please tell me the masseuse is female."

She giggled as she felt the annoyance tinged by acute possessiveness. "Yes, the masseuse is female, as are the hair stylist and the manicurist."

"Good."

"Jealous?"

"Protective."

"Oh, is that what they call it these days," she muttered half under her breath. She peeked through the hair that was sliding forward over her face and pouted as her mate failed to react.

"Yes, I heard that," he said mildly when he caught her peeking. "However, I refuse to dignify it with a response."

Keri smiled and leaned back against him. "I love you."

Sighing, he bent to kiss the top of her head. "And I, you; even when you are being difficult."

"Difficult? Moi? Humph."

"What are you planning on wearing to dinner tonight?" he asked, really changing the subject this time.

She decided to allow the distraction. "The dark green silk brocade dress with the mandarin collar that you bought me the other day. And the emeralds…By the way, when did you manage to buy those?"

"I ordered them after we chose your engagement ring. They were ready when I picked up my wedding band and your crystals."

"You are sneaky…but in a good way," she told him as she went into the bedroom and began to dress in her daytime outfit.

"I'm _so_ glad you approve." He frowned slightly. "Are you certain you want Chinese for dinner?"

"Yes. I haven't had Chinese in months and I've been craving it. Besides, it goes with the dress." She grinned as she felt his startled disbelief. "It's a female thing…okay, okay, so I'm teasing you about the dress part," she finished as he continued to stare. "Oh, I have to show Rosa how to make my pickled cucumbers. I keep getting a craving for those, too."

"Hmm, should I be concerned that you will be craving dill pickles and ice cream at midnight, cherished?"

"Eww. No. But maybe you should stock up on chocolate pudding and caviar…only kidding about the caviar," she added at his look of dismay. "Are you going to need your computer for the next hour or so?"

"I think I can live without it, why?"

"I've got about an hour and a half before we leave for the spa and I want to work on that legal research some more. There's a bill out there that might be very beneficial to your people."

"To my advantage or the faction's?"

"Both, actually. It's legislation banning genetic discrimination in employment and health insurance. It's intended for people with a higher risk for diseases and such because of heredity, but the wording's loose enough that any decent lawyer could make it stick for dominants. It has White House backing, but I'm more interested in finding out who'll support it in the House and the Senate so I can make a few calls…do a little unofficial lobbying. Might be able to get sympathy support because of Grandfather and Dani."

"Interesting, and very clever of you to think of that."

"Yep. And useful."

"I've always found you useful, my own. You know how proud I am of you."

She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. "Yes, I do."

... ...

Karl shifted from one foot to the other as he watched the drive. The transport team had called a half hour ago to inform him they were nearing Fresno. Tracie would soon be safe and by his side. He glanced up as Tom joined him.

"Good morning. I take it our new residents are due?"

"Yes, I was called when they reached Madera." He looked back towards the driveway as the sound of a well-serviced engine reached his ears. "Here they are now." The rather generic looking minivan soon came to a halt beside them. The driver and the other dominant in the front passenger seat exited; the former moving to the back to open the cargo area while the latter opened the passenger compartment. Karl found himself stepping forward eagerly as the man held out a hand to assist a small Asian female out of the vehicle. He flashed a nervous glance at Tom who was not quite succeeding in hiding an amused grin even though the emotion itself was well shielded from his detection.

"Sorry, Karl," he offered. "It's just that I know what it's like."

"I guess you would at that." He turned back to the van, ready to greet the woman he had not been able to get out of his mind since they had first met more than three months ago. "Tracie," he said, making sure she had a clear view of his lips. "Welcome to Fresno."

Her smile had that touch of playful wickedness that never failed to jar him. "Fresno, huh?" she said in a surprisingly musical voice. "The back of beyond. Good thing you didn't tell me where I was going."

His jaw dropped slightly before he realized she was teasing. "It has its compensations," he told her.

She smiled and stepped close to his chest. "Oh? Like what?"

"Housekeeping service, a cooking staff, a heated pool, a sauna and jacuzzi, satellite based internet, and a fairly comprehensive albeit small library."

"That's it? I had all of that back in Seattle except the cook and the…did you say the internet had a _satellite_ connection?"

"Yes, it's similar to DSL and cable, but we route it through a communications satellite rather than a dedicated line, and it goes from there to our own ISP."

"Oh. Interesting…well, I had DSL and it was good enough. So, nothing else?"

"Uh…there's me."

"I suppose that will have to do," she said with a rich chuckle. "Seriously, though…what's the set up like here?"

"You'll have your own room. As I said, there's housekeeping and cooking services provided…that includes laundry and dry cleaning. If you leave the complex you will need to take a bodyguard. We're not taking any chances with our civilian personnel."

"I thought the whole reason for me coming here was for us to be together. Why don't we have _our_ own room?"

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Tom broke in, first holding out his hand to her to get her attention."I'm Tom Daniels," he said, gently squeezing the hand that she offered in return. "All of our sapiens guests are residing in the main building. Karl had rooms in the barracks building so that he could better oversee his troops, but he's certainly entitled to a suite."

"Uhhh…but what about…" Karl began.

"You could use the rooms in the barracks building as your office and ready room," Tom added.

Tracie looked up at him, her expression hopeful. "Well?"

"Yes. I'd like that. But remember, there are no strings. If you change your mind you can have a private room, we were going to take this relationship slowly."

"Yeah, but slowly has been at a dead stop. Karl, I want this, really."

"Okay, I'll talk to Jeffrey."

... ...

Tom looked back at the minivan; Shane had yet to emerge. He strolled over to it and peered into the interior, dimly lit due to the dark film on the windows. Smiling, he reached across the seat to poke the sleeping teenager in the knee…then repeated the gesture and called out his name several times when he failed to respond. "I'd almost think you haven't seen a bed in six months with how deeply you were sleeping," he said when Shane finally opened groggy looking eyes.

"Ha, ha. I haven't, or not often anyway. I take it we're there…here…or whatever."

"I'm sorry things were so tough for you. I didn't plan on being out of touch for so long."

"Hey, I understand. Not like you had any choice in the matter."

"Well…the past few weeks were my own fault. I'd totally forgotten the only way you had to contact me was gone and assumed everything was fine because I hadn't heard from you."

"S'okay. Really." Shane climbed down from the van and stretched. "How's Sloan?" he asked slyly.

"Fine," Tom chuckled. "More than fine, actually. She's my bond mate now."

"Your…wow. Didn't think that would be possible. At least, we're taught it's not."

"There are a lot of things we're taught that were assumptions or intentional misinformation, Shane." Tom frowned thoughtfully. "It's going to take a lot to wade through it all, I think, to separate fact from reality." He shrugged and gave the teen a conspiratorial look. "Something to keep us non-scientists busy while the others work in the lab, yes?"

"Yeah, sounds good. I'd really like to learn some military arts though, more than the basic training that all of us get as adolescents.

"That can be arranged. If Karl can't handle it, I'll make time." Tom's mouth twitched and he leaned in a bit closer. "Unless you'd like to be trained by Lewis," he suggested in a neutral tone."

"Lewis! Your mentor, Lewis?" Shane stared at him, horrified. "Isn't he…"

"Yes, but don't worry about it. He's…mellowed." The sound of the kitchen door closing caught Tom's attention and he looked towards the house. "And there's the reason why." He smiled at the confusion that settled on Shane's face.

"Uh…a sapiens female mellowed Lewis? Aw, come on, Tom."

"That is his bond mate, she turned out to be one of the partially adapted, but at the time he bonded with her, Lewis thought she was sapiens. He's been, shall we say, forced to revise his opinions on our parent species."

"Guess so. She's kind of pretty, too," Shane mused. "Except she's a bit old."

"Don't tell Lewis that."

"Which?"

"Either. He's very possessive…and very proud."

"Okay. Not like I'm going to be having a casual conversation with your mentor anyway." The teen turned suddenly worried eyes to him. "Am I?"

"You might be surprised."

... ...

Keri smiled as she approached the group gathered around the mini-van. "Karl, Tom, introduce me to your friends…please," she added almost belatedly.

Karl looked up, took the young woman who had to be Tracie by the elbow, and gently turned her around. "Keri, this is Tracie Li," he said once Tracie focused on his face. "Tracie, this is Keri Ashton. She's the partially adapted female…uh, woman I told you about that is marrying the owner of this compound tomorrow."

"Ashton? That name's been in the papers a lot lately," Tracie commented. "Are you related to the Senator who just passed away?"

"Yes. He was my grandfather."

"Oh, I'm sorry. What a wedding present."

Keri laughed. "Yeah, well, it could be worse. I guess you read the whole story about how he died?"

"Um, yes." Tracie's cheeks showed a very light flush.

"Well, my cousin was actually trying to kill me."

"Oh, yes, that would definitely be worse," she said dryly.

Keri could feel the reluctant amusement run through the younger woman, quickly followed by remorse at finding something about a murder funny. "It's okay. That's exactly how I feel…relieved, amused, and then guilty about feeling that way."

Tracie's eyes grew huge. "How did you know…"

"She's very gifted empathically," Karl interjected after touching Tracie's arm. "That means she can read emotions."

The almond-shaped eyes narrowed, and then were rolled in exasperation. "I know what it means. I just didn't know she was."

Keri smiled at Karl's discomfiture. She decided she was going to get along great with his girlfriend. "We…Lewis and I, are going out to dinner tonight with my friends here, sort of a wedding rehearsal dinner without the rehearsal. Would you two like to join us? If you don't mind Mandarin cuisine, that is."

A smile lit Tracie's face. "I'd love to. Are we dressing up?"

"Yes. Jackets for the men, dressy outfits for the women…not formal, though." She frowned at Karl's sigh. "Problem?"

He had a guilty expression when he met her eyes. "No, I just don't like jackets that much. They're always kind of tight across the shoulders."

Keri smiled while Tracie laughed out loud. She kept up with conversations very well, Keri noted, even when the speaker didn't make sure to catch her attention. "Well, you need to get some custom tailored suits, then," Tracie said as she slid an arm around Karl's waist. We can't have you looking like you're wearing second hand clothes. Besides, there's nothing finer than a handsome man in a well tailored suit."

Karl sighed again and it was Keri's turn to laugh. She watched Tom step up beside Karl and put a comradely hand on his shoulder. "Welcome to the world of relationships with sapiens women," he told him.

Karl had made a face at him, agreed to dinner, picked up Tracie's belongings, and headed to the house before Tom gestured Shane forward. "Keri, this is Shane Baker. He was instrumental in helping us recover Ed when a dominant scientist kidnapped him."

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Shane," she said with a smile that faded when she looked him over. "I take it you haven't been able to get much in the way of clothes lately…or is that a new fashion trend I'm out of touch with?"

"This is all I've got," Shane told her, looking as uncomfortable as he obviously felt.

"I understand totally. When I took off with Lewis, all I had were the clothes on my back, and a package of T-shirts in my car. Then I had to abandon the car. And considering the size of my closet at home, well…" She frowned and glanced up. "Tom, you're coming into town with us today, aren't you?" He nodded briefly. "Why don't we bring Shane along and while we girls are in the Spa, you can take him clothes shopping…and maybe to the barber."

... ...

"We can do that. Shane, think you can stay awake for the rest of the day?"

"Sure. I slept the whole way down. Kinda felt bad, Tracie had a lot of questions that I was way too tired to answer."

"Don't worry about it, that's Karl's responsibility." He turned and looked at the garage when he heard engines. Two of the Mercedes sedans emerged and made their way down the drive. "Think we'll have enough room, Keri?"

"Should be. Lewis decided there were enough guards, so he isn't going. Hmm. Actually, he changed his mind specifically because he thought you'd be right there with us. I'd better go tell him you won't be. If he finds out later he's going to be royally pissed."

Tom shook his head as she dashed off and smiled at the concerned look on Shane's face. "It's okay; she can handle Lewis, or pretty much any other male who would be willing to give her grief. Alpha females," he said with a shudder, "makes me very glad that Sloan is fully sapiens." He frowned as Shane shifted from one foot to the other. "You'd better visit the restroom now; I'm not sure about the facilities in the area where we're going."

"Good idea. Uh…where?"

"Come on. You'll be bunking in the barracks building. Remind me later…we need to find a way for you to earn your keep here. And we should get you enrolled in school…do you have a GED or diploma from a sapiens high school? Oh, and what about SAT scores?"

"I earned a diploma but I don't have it, and I did take the SATs too…guess we'll have to send for copies of them."

"Okay, once we get them we'll also look at getting you enrolled in college next semester."

"Really? That would be great."

... ...

Lewis frowned as he sat in the Spa's waiting area. He'd been looking forward to spending the afternoon in meditation, but was not about to have his mate running about without a chameleon directing their full attention to her safety. Since Alexa was also partaking of the Spa's services, her presence was not sufficient. On the other hand, he remembered, Keridwen had recognized the risk and had immediately advised him when the original plans had changed. Perhaps she was finally beginning to understand the importance of bond mates making joint decisions.

His cell phone vibrated and he pulled it from his pocket, pressed the answer key, and listened without speaking as he checked the time. "Sam here," the voice said. "Back entry still secure."

"Acknowledged." He took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he returned the phone to the inner pocket of his jacket. Keridwen still had two procedures and her hair appointment left…it was becoming a long afternoon.

... ...

"That is totally awesome," Keri murmured as the therapist began massaging her back in long firm strokes. "God, I needed this."

The young woman smiled. "Making a day of it?" she asked. "You had the body scrub too, I can tell."

"Oh yeah. Silky baby soft skin, I love it. More importantly, I think my fiancé will love it. He already makes a big deal about my skin being so good for my age." Moaning quietly as a knotted muscle was worked out, she took a deep breath. "I'd forgotten how great this was. I guess I got used to not having it."

"Fiancé? Oh, that's what the group reservation was all about. When's the wedding?"

"Tomorrow." She thought about it and shivered.

"Nervous?"

"Oh yeah. I mean, I know that our marriage is going to be okay, it's just…"

"Overwhelming? I almost passed out in front of the altar during my wedding mass. Everyone focusing on you like that was really high pressure."

"That's it exactly. I'm kind of klutzy and I'm worried I'll trip over my dress or something and look like an idiot." Sighing she tried to banish the image. "I guess that would be appropriate. Oh, not the looking like an idiot part," Keri added hastily when she felt the masseuse's amusement. "The tripping. Lewis always has to catch me before I hurt myself. He never complains, though."

"Well, if he loves you he probably finds it endearing."

"Hmm, Lewis finding something endearing. Nah, I don't think so. He's kind of…uh…hmm, don't know how to put it."

"Tough guy? A lot of tough guys are marshmallows when it comes to their loved ones."

Keri bit her lip. "Well, he's more like the tough guy's tough guy. But I see your point. A marshmallow, oh dear, what a picture." She thought about it a bit more and giggled. "Now I'm going to have to get that out of my head. God forbid I say it to him. He'd be appalled…which means he'd get grumpy and that would be bad."

"Hmm, a tough guy with a 'tude."

"Well, arrogant, yes. But it's one of those cases of well-earned arrogance. Makes him sexier, in my humble but admittedly biased opinion."

The masseuse chuckled. "Is he the guy with silver hair out in the waiting room?"

"Yep."

"Huh. He doesn't need to get any sexier, considering his age and all."

"Considering his…oh boy. Well, he looks a lot younger with less clothing on. It's the hair, mostly. But don't true blondes do tend to go gray younger?"

"Yeah, I think so. You'd have to ask the colorist. Hmm, that guy with blonde hair with those eyes? Yummm."

"Tell me about it. And I live with that!"

"Lucky girl."

... ...

Alexa hid a smile as she watched Anja slip into the huge hot tub with a happy sigh. The courier's mobile mouth was stretched into a grin that would have put the Cheshire cat to shame. "Comfy?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, this is excellent. Deep tissue massage, sauna, hot tub, could get used to this."

"Hmm. What about your nail and hair appointments?"

Anja shuddered. "Don't remind me. Scheisse, the things I do for my sib."

The chameleon's grin came out. "Yes, you're a good sib; Keri returns the favor, though."

"Ja. She's great. Well, considering she's not dominant."

"You wouldn't like her half so well if she were," Alexa commented. "They…the adapted at least…have a certain…charm about them."

"You sampling Tate's charms?"

Alexa's left brow rose. "What do you think?"

"I think he must be good, made you miss a training commitment."

"Postpone. You did very well, by the way. Lewis was impressed."

"Really? He watched?"

"Yes, he was on his balcony. Why do you think we did the session on the main lawn?"

"Thought maybe we needed the space." The courier looked thoughtful and then grinned. "Lewis was impressed! Very cool."

"Continue to do so well and he may decide to train you personally."

Looking surprised, Anja slid off the seat and under the water, sputtering as she surfaced. Alexa bit her tongue to stifle the laughter. "Personally?" Anja gasped. "Awesome!"

... ...

Shane grinned as he laced up his new athletic shoes and then tugged his crisp new jeans back down over his ankles. In spite of Tom's preference for black, Shane had chosen the standard blue…and none of that pre-softened, faded, or stonewashed garbage either. He liked to put his own wear into the denim.

Tom stuck his head around the corner. "All set?" he asked.

"I think so. Underwear, socks, pants, shirts, new shoes…I'm starting to feel like a real person again."

Chuckling, Tom leaned back and waited for him to exit the dressing room. "I'm glad to hear it. We owe you a lot, you know."

"No. I just did what was right."

"Shane, it took a lot of courage to go against everything you'd been taught and to make your own decision on what was right or not. I'm very proud to know you."

He fought a blush and lost. "Well, I'm pretty proud to know you guys, so maybe we're kind of even."

"Sure. Ready to go meet the others?"

"Okay," he said, then stopped short as his stomach growled. "Um, could we get something to eat first?"

Tom laughed then led the way to the mall's food court. "Good idea. We don't want to be stuck sitting around near Lewis with you making all that noise. He irritates easily."

"Great. Just what I need, to irritate the ultimate chameleon," Shane said with a forlorn sigh. "How do I get myself into these situations?"

"By doing what's right," Tom told him.

... ...

Lewis smiled as a mop of curly burgundy hair popped out from behind the doorway that led into the working area of the spa. His mate's grin was irrepressible; her good mood flowed through their bond. "Lewis, I need you back here," she told him.

"For what?" he asked warily, standing as she flashed impatience at him. He pulled out the cell and began to press the key for the guard out back and then stopped as Tom and his young disciple came through the main entrance. "Good timing," he told them, handing the phone to Tom. "Take over guarding this entrance while I see to my mate."

"No problem," Tom responded as they set down the multitude of packages they carried and positioned themselves to watch the doors.

He moved around the corner and looked down the hall, reaching out to locate Keridwen. Nodding as he picked up her trace, he strode down the hall with confidence and entered one of the rooms. His mate looked up from the stylist's chair with a small smile and a hopeful look. "What is it you needed me for, cherished?"

"Well, we're going to try out upswept styles for tomorrow, and I wanted your opinion."

"And who will be doing it tomorrow?"

"You, of course." She giggled as his brows rose. "Well, you were a professional."

He sighed and leaned back against a counter. She was never going to let him forget that. "Very well, my own. Let's get this over with." Lewis watched patiently as the stylist twisted Keridwen's hair into several different styles, shaking his head to dismiss most of them. Finally, the woman found one he felt was appropriate. "Show me again how you secured that," he ordered. Watching closely he noted the placement of all of the hairpins and nodded. "Let it loose so that I can try it."

In short order Keridwen's wild mane dropped down past her shoulders once again. "You just want an excuse to play with my hair," she teased.

"I am your m…fiancé, I need no excuse," he said mildly as he began gathering up the silky strands. It took several tries, but he finally managed to secure the wild strands into an elegant 'Gibson Girl' type style. "All right," he muttered. "I've got it now." Lewis stepped back and gestured the stylist forward. "Change it to something appropriate for a dress with a Mandarin collar." His mate met his glance with an admonishing look. "Please," he added.

... ...

Anja's eyes nearly popped out of her head as her sib strolled around the corner on Lewis' arm. The red hair was secured in a sleek chignon, and she looked positively elegant. "Wow, Keri…nice," she managed.

Keri smiled, pulled slightly away from Lewis and hugged her. "You're looking pretty good yourself, sis," she said, playfully ruffling the curls that now graced Anja's head.

She managed not to growl in frustration. "Was the bim…uh, Sloan's idea," she muttered. "Then Caryn and Alexa backed her up. Said you would really like it."

"They were right. You look absolutely gorgeous. Mark is going to think he's died and gone to heaven."

Anja shrugged. "He already think that, every time we do it."

Keri's giggle erupted as the others entered the spa's lobby. "You are incorrigible," she scolded.

"And quite encourage-able, my own. Must you?" Lewis interjected.

"Absolutely. It's a…moral imperative."

Lewis…snickered. Yes, he actually snickered! "More like an immoral one, but I do see your point."

Anja frowned; then treated both of them to her best glare. "I'm insulted," she said haughtily, then laughed as Keri hugged her again and kissed her cheek.

"With you, it's a compliment, trust me."

... ...

The boy glanced up worriedly as a large group exited the spa across the street. He was certain he had felt…oh yes. There he was. He suppressed a snarl and glared, searching the group for…Sloan Parker. Tom's sapiens female was also there, as were two other redheaded sapiens. He glanced over his shoulder as his sire walked up behind them.

"You know them?" Richard asked.

"Yes. That's the traitor, Tom Daniels. The female on his arm is Sloan Parker. They're our enemies, father. We should use this opportunity to kill them."

"Don't be a fool," Richard said as his son winced. "Do you know any of the others?"

He shrugged. "No, never seen them before."

"The older male is Lewis Ryan, former head of the chameleon program, I've told you about him."

"Yes, I remember."

"The tall blonde female is his daughter, Alexa. She's one of his top chameleons." Richard pulled him back behind the kiosk as one of the men guarding the group glanced their way. "With so many of them there, they probably won't be able to pick us out…"

"I know, I'm shielding."

"Not well enough. Your effort is a disgrace."

"Then you should have begun training me at a younger age," the boy said reasonably. He took an involuntary step back as his sire's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I'll work harder," he promised, relaxing as Richard Allen nodded and returned his attention to the mixed group of dominants and sapiens.

"I will hold you to that, Kevin," he said. "Now, you return to our rooms while I follow them. You can't shield well enough to escape their attention for such an attempt."

"Yes, father."


	5. Chapter 5

Keridwen's excitement was contagious. She was positively babbling as they prepared for the evening. Amazing what a month or two of social deprivation could do to a female. But, listening to her chatter had its own reward. Every time she dashed past him on the way to her vanity mirror, to the closet, or to the open safe, she'd drop into his lap yet again and kiss him thoroughly. As the thought crossed his mind, Lewis felt his mate's weight on his thighs, and he opened his eyes to look into her sparkling gray ones.

"Have I said thank you for arranging this?" she asked for what had to be the fifth time.

"Yes, cherished. Why don't you save the gratitude until we return home, hmm?" he suggested as he stroked her cheek. "Then you could thank me in a more…meaningful way."

"Lewis!"

He shrugged. "You seemed to have been looking for a way to fully express your…" he broke off with a grunt as she threw her arms around him and propelled him back to the mattress. "Was that necessary, my own?" He sat up again as she pouted and scrambled to her feet to continue on the way to the closet. "I'm already dressed and you're putting wrinkles in my jacket."

"Oh, pooh." Keridwen pulled her dress from the closet and walked back to carefully lay it out on the bed. The hanger was tossed back towards the still open closet.

Lewis sighed and shook his head. "Do you think you might attempt to actually put things back occasionally?"

She stopped short on her way to the dressing room that was situated between their bedroom and bathroom and looked back at him. Her expression reflected the hurt he could feel. "I do put things back…eventually."

"Keridwen…"

"But _someone_ usually gets to it before I do."

He stifled a groan. "Yes, me." He stood, moved to her and took her in his arms. She settled against his chest and he rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Clutter can be dangerous," he told her quietly. "It interferes with free movement about the room, it makes things, including weapons, more difficult to find, and if an enemy were to reach us here, it could take precious seconds off of the speed I would need to protect you."

"Oh, come on. Now you're being ridiculous," she said, trying to pull out of his embrace.

He tightened his arms around her and met her eyes. "Keridwen, I keep several weapons secured in strategic places about the suite. You've seen them." He paused and waited for her nod. "This afternoon, I tried to retrieve my nine millimeter to check the ammunition and to see if it needed cleaning. I had to dig it out from under four blouses, one pair of jeans, another of slacks, a suede jacket, three dresses, three bras, several assorted packages of socks, pantyhose, stockings, and underwear, and at least four pairs of shoes…and let's not forget the boots. It took me several minutes…minutes, my own. We could both be dead in that amount of time."

"Well…that was unusual. We were only back from shopping for about an hour and I _had_ to show Amy, Beth, and Tracie what I'd bought before I put it away."

"We'd been home more than two and a half hours when I came upstairs. Why couldn't you have put each item away as you showed it? You don't…" Lewis broke off as her eyes filled with moisture. "Ah, damn it; I've done it again, haven't I?" She shook her head and tried to smile. "Yes, I have. Don't make excuses for me. I've chosen a time when you were happy and excited to…chastise you and ruined your mood." He placed a finger under her chin to tilt her head back. "I'm sorry, cherished." His lips covered hers gently, making the kiss as tender as he knew how.

"It's okay. I understand why you're pissed. But the next time I leave something out, instead of you doing it, could you find me and quietly ask me to clean up? I won't remember if you keep doing the straightening."

"I am not pissed; I'm…wait a minute. Who is Beth?" Keridwen giggled and he found himself scowling. "Did Mark bring more people here without informing me? This is intol…"

"No! Beth is Bets' real name. She's asked us to use it. It reminds her too much of Kurt when we call her Bets."

"I see. I thought it was short for Betsy or some such thing."

"Nope. She was working a roulette wheel in Reno when they met. He kept hearing her say place your bets, so when he started flirting with her, he would call her that."

"Hmm. I can see how that would speed her recovery if she no longer had that constant reminder. I'll keep it in mind."

"Thank you, love. See, you're not really a grouch," she told him as she dashed over to the makeup mirror on the vanity.

... ...

Richard slammed the palm of his hand on the Sonata's steering wheel. He'd fruitlessly searched every street within a five-mile radius of Herndon and Villa, where a fool sapiens had run a red light and caused the accident that had allowed the two Mercedes sedans to leave him behind. There was no telling where Lewis and his companions had gone. There were several major highways within minutes of the place where he'd lost them…but why would they come to Clovis from someplace distant? The small town wasn't exactly known as a Shopping Mecca.

No, they had to be in either Clovis itself, or at least somewhere in Fresno County. He pulled into the parking lot on the northwest corner of Herndon and Cedar, and pulled into one of the many vacant stalls. The cell phone's battery was low, so he plugged in the car adapter before making his call. He waited impatiently for Henry to answer the phone. His impatience turned to annoyance when the councilor's personal assistant, Sarah, picked up the line instead. "Where's Henry?" he asked without preamble. "I have information for him, and I need assistance."

"He's at home this week, Richard," she told him; evidently she'd recognized his voice. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"That depends. Can you send me trackers? I spotted Lewis Ryan and Tom Daniels, but was unable to stay close enough to follow them without being detected," he grimaced at the admission. "They had several of our people with them and were also in the company of a number of sapiens…including the infamous Dr. Parker."

A heavy silence stretched out for several moments. "I'll need to contact Henry and get authorization, but I'm certain it will be approved. Where should they meet you?"

"I'm in the Central Valley, the town is called Clovis. We're staying at the Rodeo Motel on Clovis Avenue, room 105."

"Fine. I have your cell number. I'll call you to confirm."

Richard punched the end button as he heard the phone click on the other end. The trackers would be able to find the fugitives. They were trained to focus on the electromagnetic energies unique to an individual…and for high profile members of their society such as Lewis Ryan and Tom Daniels; the _scent_ of those energies was well known.

... ...

Sarah grinned as she dropped the phone in the cradle; this was the break she'd been waiting for. She chuckled quietly, pulled her personal cell phone from her gym bag, and used the speed dial. "Hey, I've got news that will make you very happy," she said when her call was answered.

"I certainly hope so; I'd hate to think you'd interrupt me otherwise."

She gulped. The chameleon was not in a good mood…to say the least. "What's wrong?" she asked, crossing her fingers superstitiously in the hope that he would answer instead of chewing her out about her curiosity. He was temperamental and could go either way. He sighed and she relaxed. He must be having a very annoying day.

"My uncle is determined to make a fool of himself over his pet courier. She's missing, and he's had me searching hospitals all the way from Sacramento to San Diego. The little slut is probably in Europe by now."

"Ah…Oh. He's still pairing with Anja Martin?"

"Pairing?" he half snorted. "It's more like he's enthralled. Granted, she's a hot piece, but one should have some self control."

"Well, it's obviously more than time you replaced him," she said soothingly, knowing it was what he wanted to hear. "The council needs younger and stronger leadership and they're not going to get it from Henry."

"True. So, my dear, what information do you have that is going to help achieve our goal?" he asked. "Oh, and are you still going to be in Sacramento when I finish with this total waste of time? I wasn't able to…visit you before Damien sent me out again."

She smiled as Randall's tone deepened and languorously slowed. She had been disappointed that he hadn't stopped by last week…but hadn't believed that he had thought twice about it. It was good to know that he appreciated her, even if it was likely that he didn't think of her as much more than a playmate. But then, he was a chameleon and they didn't make commitments. Unfortunately, that did nothing to change her desire for his exclusive attention. "What would the death of Lewis Ryan bring you?"

"My own death if I were the cause of his, you idiot."

"I don't understand," she said, wincing at the insult and the change of voice from that of lover to critic. "The last time we talked you told me that you were looking forward to terminating Lewis and his protégé. What's changed?"

His silence was followed by another heavy sigh. "Henry doesn't keep you very well informed, my pet. It seems that Lewis Ryan has a bond mate. I'll have to satisfy myself with ripping Tom apart."

A bond mate? Oh boy, that _was_ big. "I'm sorry to hear that. And you're right, Henry doesn't tell me anything until it becomes a problem for me. Why else do you think I'd want my own sire…removed?"

"Ambition seemed a good reason. Power would look good on you." She could almost _hear_ him shrug. "It looks good on me."

She had to laugh at that, his bad boy attitude was always a turn on, particularly when he was playful with it…and she knew that he appreciated her reaction to it. "I'd rather support you and enjoy your power."

"Ah, well. That's certainly an option…if you continue to please me."

"Ha. I always please you and you know it." A door closed down the hall and she looked over her shoulder and out the glass pane beside Henry's outer door. The councilor who had left her office three doors down headed in the opposite direction. Sarah relaxed and turned back to her call. "Okay, so you can't kill him, do you still want to find him?"

"Certainly. Bringing Lewis and his bond mate in will still win me prestige…besides, Tom is likely with him…and I can rid myself of _that _annoyance."

"Richard Allen and his brat spotted them in Clovis."

"Clovis? Oh, near Fresno, right?"

"Yep."

"That's another one I'd like to kill…that kid is creepy."

Sarah shuddered. She'd only met Kevin once, but that had been more than enough. "More than creepy. Thank creation they've discontinued the breeding program."

"It's not discontinued darling, it's just become far more selective…and we harvest the results as soon as they're weaned. That should prevent the problems we've had with the last batch."

"If you say so." She waited for a response, but none came. "Well, are you going to Clovis?"

"Sure, after I finish checking the hospitals the rest of the way to San Diego. If by some chance the old fart is right and someone else finds Anja for him, Damien will have my head."

"Oh and we can't have that…you wouldn't be half so much fun without your head."

"Hmm, perhaps I should go to Clovis by way of Sacramento?"

"Too far out of your way…but I'm due a few days off. Why don't I join you in Clovis?"

... ...

Richard drove around the corner slowly, one small portion of his mind noting the police car parked in front of a large truck. It couldn't be seen until you were upon it, and he'd no doubt that a number of hapless sapiens would be helping the officer meet his ticket quota before the evening was over. He was not going to join them.

Moving to the right lane a few dozen yards before he needed to turn onto Clovis Avenue, his attention abruptly refocused. He passed the road and pulled into the shopping center on the far corner instead. "Pure blind luck," he muttered as he watched several Mercedes and one BMW sedan cruise past. He concentrated and focused on the masking technique Lisa Lars had shared with him a few weeks before Tom Daniels had terminated her. Once he was certain the mask was in place, he pulled back out on to Herndon and followed.

The expensive vehicles took a side road and eventually pulled into the long driveway that fronted a small house sitting incongruously in the middle of a strip of repair shops. He pulled over a block later, parked, and made his way back. When he arrived he counted and noted the positions of eight guards that watched the cars and patrolled the perimeter of both the building and the property. Getting close was not going to be easy.

... ...

The lighting in the restaurant was a bit dim. That was going to make it difficult for her to keep up with conversations. Tracie bit back a sigh. Everyone was going out of the way to include her; it wasn't their fault that the environment was not what she liked to refer to as 'T-friendly'. She looked up as a strong lean hand touched her arm.

"I believe this seat would give you the best view," Lewis told her. "Do you agree?"

She smiled. Everyone had been warning her about the man and his supposedly nasty temper, but he'd been an absolute gentleman, in the truest sense of the word, each time they'd interacted. "Yes, thank you." She paused as Karl moved past her to hold the chair and then sat down. Her eyes followed Keri's distinguished looking fiancé…uh, mate as they called it, as he seated Keri and then took the seat on her immediate right.

Karl sat down to her right and lightly placed an arm on her back. "Comfortable?" he asked, his face showing a touch of concern.

"Very. Are you going to let me see the menu?"

His slight smile was almost sheepish. "I'm going to have to. It's in Chinese and I sure can't read it."

Tracie frowned as she took the red covered booklet and looked around the room. All of the other patrons were Chinese, many of them American born judging by their height, expressions, and clothing choices, but definitely one hundred percent Chinese. She wondered who had the in with the owner to get them a reservation. Places like these were usually closely guarded secrets in the Asian community.

Lewis was talking to a rather tiny woman in a formal silk cheong-sam with the de rigueur Mandarin collar. She was wearing what had to be a small fortune in exquisite Burmese Jade jewelry. Tracie peered closely at Lewis' lips and her eyebrows rose. Unless she was seeing things, he was speaking Cantonese! Concentrating, she quietly took in what she could see of the conversation. "We are honored that you allowed us to celebrate our upcoming togetherness, uh, probably means marriage, in your place of eating, no, restaurant," Tracie amended the translation. "My…wife to be is much…uh very fond of all aspects of your culture and has…complained? No, softer than that. Oh forget it. She was…convinced she couldn't get real Chinese cuisine here and she longs for the islands?" Tracie shook her head. She obviously needed a lot of practice in lip reading her father's native language. That was the crappiest translation she'd ever done.

"Is that what he's saying?" Karl asked when she'd looked up at his touch.

"Trying to read it is giving me a headache."

"But you can…"

"Just barely. And I'm really doing a bad job of it," she muttered crossly. Her eyes widened as Lewis looked up and frowned.

"You speak Cantonese, Tracie?" he asked.

"Yes," she admitted. But I don't lip read it worth a damn."

He chuckled. "Still, being able to do so at all is a worthwhile skill. I'm impressed."

If anything, her eyes got even wider. "Thank you," she managed. "That's very kind of you to say."

"Not at all. Let me know if you'd like to practice it later."

... ...

Keri smiled and leaned over to rub her cheek on Lewis' shoulder. He _was_ being very kind to Tracie, making her feel welcome. And for those who could feel it, he was doing so sincerely. Her smile faded just a bit as she began to wonder what he was up to.

Lewis did not hand her a menu, a peek at the one he perused told her why. There was no translation, in English or otherwise, of the Chinese Characters that filled it. Only the prices were recognizable. Lewis, of course, seemed to be having no difficulty at all. Hmm, neither were the other chameleons, Tom or Alexa, for that matter. "Are all chameleons literate in Chinese," she asked softly.

"No. They acquire literacy in certain languages based on the spectrum of assignments I expect them to handle over their career. Both Tom and Alexa were slated for the same track."

"Track?"

Lewis frowned. "Yes, they all have ultimate objectives, and between miscellaneous assignments they work in careers that will further that objective." He held up his hand as she opened her mouth. "We'll talk about it more at home, cherished. Agreed?"

"Okay." She slipped her hand into his and smiled as he squeezed it gently and then caressed it. Do they have lemon chicken?" she asked.

"Yes, but don't you want something more adventurous?"

"Not really. How about some kind of beef? Oh, and pork fried rice?"

He sighed and looked down at her. "Keridwen, if we order that, they'll be insulted. Let me choose for you, hmm?"

"If you must." She chuckled as a mixture of annoyance and humor flashed through him. "Just make sure there's no fish, shellfish, mushrooms, or anything extremely hot, and I should be fine with it."

Keri watched Lewis glance around the table. Tracie was discussing the offerings with Karl, Mark, and Anja, Alexa with Ed, Caryn, and Jeff. Tom and Sloan were huddled closely over a menu, giving each other adoring looks. "Please tell me we never did that," he muttered, jerking his head towards the other bonded pair.

Pretending to look them over carefully, Keri struggled to maintain a serious expression. "No, we never did that," she finally assured him. "We were much cuter."

Lewis looked at her sharply. "Keridwen…"

"I'm teasing. Actually, our mutual staring was more on the lustful side."

He blinked, raised an eyebrow, and sighed. "You are in a rare mood, my own."

"Yep. But you like these moods," she told him, lightly stroking his thigh.

"So I do."

... ...

Lewis looked up sharply and frowned in concentration. He heard his mate speak again, so reached over to touch a finger to her lips. "I can't listen right now. Wait…please."

"Uh, okay."

A small portion of his mind registered surprise that she didn't ask him what the problem was as he continued to scan the area. Finally he located what had been bothering him and looked across the table at his cousin. "Tell me, Tom. Why do people persist in believing they can learn to mask without my training them?"

Tom frowned back at him and Lewis felt him stretching his own awareness. "Because they're desperate?" He shrugged. "That was my motivation."

A raised eyebrow was his only response to his young cousin. He switched to Russian as he turned slightly in his seat. "Karl, how many guards did you bring tonight?"

Karl's chocolate colored eyes narrowed. "Just the two in each vehicle, why?" he returned in the same language.

"Then we have something to deal with. I'm picking up an odd number of our kind outside, one of whom is trying to hide their presence…and failing."

"We got trouble?" Anja asked quietly.

Lewis grimaced. He'd forgotten the courier was also multi-lingual. "Nothing to worry about. Alexa, take a walk with me."

"I should go with…" Tom began.

"No. I need someone who has learned to mask…successfully." He smiled as Tom subsided with a slight blush.

"Huh, guess that leave me out, too," Anja muttered.

"Yes. Both of you will begin working on it tomorrow. Ah, well, Tom will begin later in the week, and you, young lady will begin when it's safe for you to leave the council again." He looked to his left and switched back to English to address a very worried looking Keridwen. "We're going to check out what seems to be a…discrepancy, my own. We'll be back shortly."

"Be careful. I don't want you in a hospital bed tomorrow when you're supposed to be waiting for me under the trees and wearing a tux."

Alexa and her sire had a quiet word with the owner and then split up. Lewis headed towards the kitchen and Alexa walked to the front door and waited, probably for his signal to drop the masking and exit to provide a distraction as the older chameleon came up on their intruder from behind. Karl buried a touch of envy and exchanged glances with Anja and Tom. "Think he'll let me join your training sessions, Tom?"

"Probably. He likes your style."

Nodding, Karl jumped as he felt a sharp pinch on his left arm. He looked down at Tracie. Uh oh. She looked annoyed. "What's wrong, T?" he asked, using the nickname she'd shared with him the fourth time they had sat down together in the library.

"Please tell me you weren't speaking in English…or any of the Asian languages," she said, half under her breath.

He smiled realizing that she wasn't angry as he had first thought, but frustrated. "It wasn't," he assured her silently. "It was Russian."

"Thank God. I thought I was really losing it."

He was so focused on Tracie that Keridwen's voice startled him. "So, is someone going to tell me what's up, or do I have to start rattling the…uh…," She stared down at the dishes, obviously perplexed.

"It's still called china," Tracie supplied dryly.

... ...

Lewis slipped out of the back of the small building that looked more like an out of place residence in a commercially zoned area than a restaurant. There were no signs; at least there were not any in English that announced its true nature. He kept the locations of the dominants outside firmly in mind as he crept around the back corner. One was coming directly his way.

"Wh…" the male had barely managed to get a sound out when Lewis spun him around, pulled his arms back with one hand and covered his mouth with the other. When the guard, whose name Lewis did not recall, had quieted he slowly released his hold and moved in front of him, now holding his finger before his own lips.

"Trouble," he mouthed almost inaudibly. "Continue your rounds." The fellow…ah, Andrew, that was his name, nodded, straightened and ruthlessly suppressing his disquiet, continued around the building, though at a slightly quickened pace. Lewis watched him turn the corner from which he'd just come and edged to where he would be able to reach their party crasher in a few quick steps. He smiled grimly as he examined the shrubs at the front corner of the restaurant. They were perfect; bushy and wide, but with just enough space between the leaves for him to peer without being seen by any but the most astute operative. This _poser_, as his Keridwen would call him, was certainly not that. He frowned and reached out for Alexa, then began to smile as she dropped her masking and burst out the front door.

"That's it, I've had it," she snarled at Erik who was standing by the first of their Mercedes sedans. "Damn sapiens prattle. I don't understand how Lewis can deal with it day in and day out. The woman is an airhead."

Erik, one of the few guards who had actually conversed with Keridwen, stared back at Alexa in shock. Lewis could feel his surprise at Alexa's pronouncement. He opened his mouth to respond, obviously thought better of it and then closed it with a snap of his teeth sharp enough to be heard even at this distance.

"Well? Don't just stare at me fool. Open the door. You're taking me back to the complex. Lewis has decided I'm not pleasant enough company for his precious pet."

"Oh. Uh, chameleon? I've got to clear this with the first."

"And who do you think commands your first?"

"Well, you do, but…I really think that before I deplete the manpower here…"

Lewis tuned out the conversation, eyes narrowing as the poorly masked figure drifted backwards towards his hiding place. Just a few more steps…yes! He moved, still masked himself, and had the stranger face down in the dirt in less than a full second. His breath hissed out when he realized the enemy had not survived the maneuver. The guards converged on their location a moment later, those of them who had been able to see the action staring in awe.

"Hell, and you thought he was past his prime," one of the guards whispered to another.

"My hearing has deteriorated about as much as my speed," he said, flicking an annoyed glare their way. He reached down to turn the tallish male over and then frowned. He looked vaguely familiar; he'd seen him before at his old training center, but hadn't taught him directly. "Get Jeffrey," he told Alexa as she bent over to look at the body. "I seem to remember this one being in his class with us."

"Sir?" Erik ventured. "Wouldn't questioning him have been of value?"

He stood and gave the boy a sour look. "That was my intention, but he's more of a klutz than my mate. Instead of falling in the direction I pulled him, he collapsed backward." Lewis kicked the body back over in disgust. "Make sure the remains are taken to our medical unit. I want to find out everything we can about him." Erik nodded and moved away as Jeffrey exited the building and trotted towards them. "Where's Alexa?"

"Alexa's busy assuring Keri that you neutralized the problem without even breaking a sweat." Tom's cousin gave him a wry look, a slight grin tugging at one corner of his mouth. "Trying to rebuild your rep with the men?"

"My _rep_ was never in question. However, my memory could use some assistance."

Jeffrey shrugged. "Well, they do say that's the first thing that goes." Lewis waited until he looked back up at him and then raised an eyebrow. The younger man's face paled quite satisfactorily. "Ah, not that there's anything wrong with _your_ memory, of course…" he said, trailing off uncertainly.

Sighing, Lewis asked, "Who is he, Jeffrey?"

"Oh, right." He glanced down and then bent over for a closer look. "Okay, that's strange."

Lewis began tapping his fingers on his crossed arms, the only outward sign of his growing impatience. "Do you bait me intentionally? This behavior must come from your sire's line."

Jeffrey chuckled. "Yeah, I remember how frustrated you used to get with Tom." He straightened and looked at Lewis, still grinning. "And you know, I think it is from our sires. We spent several summers with them, camping in Oaxaca when I was ten or so and Tom was about six. Right after he was Chosen. They always did enjoy goading us, and each other, until we reacted."

"Just keep in mind that you will not enjoy my reaction."

"Ah, no, I mean yes." He glanced down at the body again. "His name is Richard Allen. He was with the breeder program; specifically targeting selected professional women. You know, teachers, nurses, physicians and such."

"What interest would he have in us? Is Keridwen still a target?"

"No, Tom and Alexa checked on that, remember? Besides, she's getting a bit old…now wait, let me finish," he said as Lewis automatically reached for him. "She's getting a bit old to fit the breeder program parameters, she's almost forty and she hasn't completed a first pregnancy yet. I'm fairly sure I was their final attempt on her. At least, no one was sent to me for a briefing, whereas I was referred to all of the operatives who had made previous attempts so that I could learn from their mistakes."

"Then why was he following us?"

"Your guess is as good…hell, probably better than mine."

... ...

Keri looked up as the others returned to their table. Lewis stopped to say something to the owner in a reassuring tone; then sat back down in his seat. "Everything okay, love?" she asked quietly.

"Fine, my own. We'll discuss it more when we get home, let's enjoy our dinner."

"Okay." She sat back and relaxed while Lewis, Alexa, Tom, and Tracie ordered for them, then let herself be pulled into conversation with Jeff and Caryn. The delicious meal was finished far too soon and Lewis stood and made some sort of request of the owner, Mrs. Leong. The woman looked very amused, nodded and headed back to the kitchen. "What was that about?" she asked him.

"Be patient, Keridwen, and enjoy the surprise."

She pouted, but sat back to wait. Lewis was still being very controlled, she assumed he was still thinking about the earlier interruption, and any attempt she could make to distract or tease him into revealing his secret would be fruitless. "Fine. I'll be patient…for now."

Lewis looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "You like pleasant surprises."

"Well, yes. But…"

"Hush, you don't have to wait any longer."

She frowned and looked up at the waiter approaching the table. He carried a platter filled with…fortune cookies! Smiling, she slipped an arm around her mate. "I thought you said that restaurants like this didn't have fortune cookies, that they were too commercial?"

"That's true, but they will order them in if they're requested in advance. I do seem to remember you saying something about enjoying fortune cookies when we discussed your choice of cuisine."

"Yes," she said happily. "I love fortune cookies."

Mrs. Leong appeared at Lewis' side, nodding. "You wish the wisdom of the Orient?" she asked, her voice low and precise.

Keri giggled and clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry, that must have sounded rude. Yes, I do appreciate the wisdom of the Orient, but I don't expect to find it in fortune cookies. I like the cookies themselves, mostly. The fortunes are just for fun."

"Ah. Your bride is quite wise Mr. Ryan," she said, nodding to Lewis.

"Yes, she is." Keri smiled as he leaned over and nuzzled her temple. "Well, cherished? You are the bride to be, you should be the first to select your fortune."

"Okay." She reached out and took a cookie from the middle of the tray. "But since you're the bridegroom, you've got to pick yours next…and don't tell me you don't want one, you've got to have one whether you want it or not."

"Very well, my own," Lewis selected the cookie closest to him. "Just so long as you don't expect me to eat it," he said, motioning the waiter to offer the tray to the others.

"Hmm, well, no, you don't have to eat it. I'll take care of that."

He chuckled and sat back to look at her. "Well, are you going to open it?"

"Just wait a minute. Jeez, let everyone else get their cookie." Her lips twitched at his perplexed expression as he settled back to wait. Once everyone had a cookie, she broke hers open. "Hmm. _You will enjoy good health, you will be surrounded by luxury_," she read. "Okay, I get the luxury part…and the good health is great news. Think maybe that means the rest of my pregnancy will go well?"

"One can hope."

"Yeah. So, what does yours say?"

Lewis stared down at the small piece of paper. "Some gibberish," he said with a shrug, crumpling it.

"Lewis. Come on, that's not fair," Keridwen poked him in the side as she reached for it, sighing loudly as he moved his hand out of her reach. "Lo-ove, come on!"

"Come on, what?" he said, trying and from his mate's expression, failing to look innocent. His head snapped around as he felt several hands grab his right wrist and another worked to pry open his fingers. "You two do enjoy living dangerously," he told Tom and Jeff.

"Fair is fair, Lewis. Keri read hers, it's only right that yours is read as well," Tom told him as he handed the paper to Keridwen with a half bow and a triumphant smile.

"You do realize that the only reason I'm not hurting you is because my mate would be annoyed if the best man were in a wheelchair tomorrow."

"Certainly," Tom said, seating himself back beside his own mate.

Sloan glanced at Lewis, her expression mischievous. "Please don't hurt my mate," she said. "I'm not done with him yet."

"Ah, but you won't really need him for at least seven months," Lewis told her.

Keridwen frowned. "Why seven months?" she asked.

"She'll need him during childbirth."

"I'd have to get pregnant first."

"Uh…Sloan?" Tom said.

"Tom, you didn't explain it to her, did you?" Keridwen accused.

"Well…"

"Oh, really. You guys are too much. You make us a permanent part of your lives and you don't bother to fill us in on the rules, or what to expect, and then you act like it's all our fault when we screw up."

"I think we're busted, Lewis."

"So it would seem."

"Wait a minute. Are you telling me that I'm…"

Tom looked at Sloan, his expression sheepish. "Surprise?"

"Oh boy," she said in a small voice.

Lewis snorted in amusement as Sloan glared at his cousin and turned his attention back to his mate. The others at the table were looking at her expectantly. She had straightened out the crumpled slip of paper and was chuckling as she read it. "Cherished…"

"Oh, this is too good," she said. "Okay, everyone, you've _got_ to hear this. _You are the master of every situation_. No wonder you didn't want to read it."

Lewis shifted uncomfortably at the muted and more open laughter that swept around the table. "It's a random slip of paper, it means nothing," he said defensively.

"Riiighhht."

... ...

Ed stretched his legs after stepping out of the Mercedes. His stomach was full of his favorite food, Alexa was standing close by, the only thing wrong with his life was that they were too damn far from a beach…any beach, let alone one with good surf. He looked over at his companion. Hmm, Alexa versus surfing. She smiled up at him…oh yeah. Alexa won every time.

"Tate, I need to have a word with you," Lewis said from behind them.

He stepped away from Alexa reflexively, cursed himself and stepped back to her side. "Sure. What's up?"

"I need you to look at the intruder we dealt with during dinner; do a little forensic detective work. I want to find out where he's been what he's been up to. Can you handle that?"

"Uh, well, I could probably figure some things out, but this isn't exactly my field."

"That's what you said about obstetric surgery, yet you acquitted yourself admirably."

"Yeah, well, thanks. Look, I'll do my best, you know that, right?"

"I've noticed that about you. I suspect that's what Alexa finds appealing."

Ed blanched. His worse nightmare was coming true; Lewis was talking to him about his relationship with Alexa…oh God. "Ah, look, about that…"

"Just continue to do your best, Tate, and you and I will have no problem."

He let out the breath he'd been subconsciously holding with a loud sigh as his lover's very dangerous father turned on his heel and stalked away. "Oh boy."

... ...

Sloan arrived in the lab a bit breathless, with Tom a step behind still apologizing for not telling her about her pregnancy. Ed had been rather mysterious on the house phone. She entered and stared at the body stretched out on the table. "Where did that come from?" she asked.

"This was our dinner interruption," Alexa informed her from across the room. "He didn't survive his curiosity and we need to question him posthumously."

Ed looked up from the body. "I collected stuff from under his nails and put it in those vials. I was hoping to see where that took us before going on to anything more intrusive."

"Okay. Have you started preparing slides, or should I?"

"If you could, that would be great. I've got a feeling Lewis won't be satisfied with that, so I'm going to prep to open this guy up, examine stomach contents and what have you."

"Eww. Better you than me." Sloan stepped closer and looked down at the dead man's face. "Tom, look at him. Does he look familiar to you?"

Tom leaned over her shoulder. "Hmm. Yes, but Jeffrey said something about him training with him at the old facility. I could have seen him there."

"No, I mean someone we've both seen."

Alexa spoke up. "If it helps any, his name is Richard Allen."

"No, not…oh. Oh my God. Tom, wasn't that the name of the man that Rachel Taylor…"

"Yes, in the photograph. This is Kevin's biological father."

Ed looked at them; he appeared as dismayed as she felt. "Kevin? Oh crap," he said.

... ...

"Sleepy, cherished? Lewis asked, as he patiently towel dried Keridwen's long burgundy hair.

"Yes. And way too full."

"Hmm, then maybe we should find a way to burn that off? Or did you decide you were no longer either grateful or in a mood?"

"I'm _always_ in a mood."

"Thankfully, you are." He stood and hung the now wet towel up and took her hands in his. "Though I am wondering how long that will last as your pregnancy advances."

She shrugged. "I don't know, but when I'm not anymore, it will be your own damn fault."

"Mine?"

"Yes, you're the one who wanted me pregnant."

"Hmm, true." After sitting down on the edge of the bed he drew her onto his lap. "Have I told you how much I appreciate your indulgence in that?"

"No, actually, you haven't. All you've done is bug me to consider getting pregnant again as soon as this baby is born."

"Well, not that soon."

His mate sighed, snuggled into his embrace and yawned. "Whatever. Can we go to sleep now?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," she mumbled.

He frowned in consternation. Keridwen refusing intimacy? "Are you well, my own?"

She chuckled quietly. "Yes, love, just tired and very relaxed. Besides, we've got a very big day tomorrow; you don't want me having shadows under my eyes, do you? We can make up for it tomorrow night, that's what wedding nights are for, anyway."

It was his turn to sigh as he stood, turned, placed her on the bed, and tucked the blanket around her. "Good night, cherished. Do you need me to stay with you until you fall asleep, or may I go work in my office?"

Keridwen smiled up at him sleepily. "Go ahead and work, don't want to make it harder for you." She frowned and then giggled. "Uh, no pun intended."

"Hmm, I'm sure," he said dryly. "Sleep well, my mate. Dream of me?"

"Always."


	6. Chapter 6

There was faint tapping on the suite's main door; Lewis looked up from his laptop, irritated at the intrusion. He stood, turned off the lights and moved out of his study, securing the hidden door panel behind him. To date, only he and his bond mate knew of the small room's existence and he wished to keep it that way. Speaking of Keridwen…no, she hadn't heard the knocking so the individual responsible for bringing the small group to his door at this hour would be allowed to keep their head. He quietly opened it and stared at them with ill-disguised rancor. "Well?"

"This qualifies as urgent, Lewis," Tom told him quickly. "Our mates could be in serious danger."

He nodded, slipped out into the hall, and closed the suite's door behind him. "We are not waking her unless we need to move them to insure their safety," he said firmly.

"No problem. Let's take it down to Mark's suite."

"You interrupted him and Anja? You're either braver or more foolish than I'd ever imagined." Lewis snorted at the thought of the reaction his mate's sib must have had to such an intrusion and then frowned. Tom didn't show any sign of having been in a fight, let alone any injury. "Or did you come here first?"

"Uh…here. It is _our_ mates who are in the most danger,"

"Indeed." He shook his head ruefully. "Well, Tom. I'm not foolish enough to interrupt Anja…particularly at this moment," he added after stretching his senses.

"Then to Karl's. I did call him before coming to you so that he could augment the patrols appropriately."

"Good. Wait, what do you mean by appropriately?"

"It's a long story…one I'd like to tell only once, if you don't mind."

"Fine."

They reached the second floor and traveled down the widest corridor to that level's main suite, which was situated just below his master suite. Tom stepped forward to knock, but the door was opened before he could complete the action. Tracie stood there, bundled in a hand painted Chinese silk robe, wearing an amused smile. "We were expecting you, and I saw the shadows cross in front of the door," she explained, obviously noticing the surprised expressions among the group. "Come in." Tracie stepped back so that they could enter, and then disappeared into the bedroom.

Karl exited the bedroom a moment later, carrying a PDA and consulting its contents. "Tom, I don't think we have enough staff with the necessary skills to really secure the property against this kind of threat. It's not something that's normally required of soldiers or any of the other designations held by our people here."

"What kind of threat are we talking about?" Lewis asked as his annoyance grew.

"Oh. Well, Tom and Sloan can explain it best," Karl responded and gestured at the limited seating. The Security First stood until they sat down before settling himself on the floor nearby.

"I'm still waiting, Tom."

"What do you know about the latest harvest of results from the breeding program?" Tom asked instead of answering directly.

Lewis hated having questions answered with questions even though he often did so himself. That was the privilege of the instructor…and Tom was not that to him. He cocked his head slightly to the side as he gave his cousin a considering look. The boy had been training to be a leader, and had learned to use his mentor's methods of dealing with a particular situation…he obviously hadn't forgotten everything he'd been taught. "Not a damn thing. As you might recall, due to your actions I was incarcerated before the harvest occurred." Tom had the grace to flush.

... ...

"Right, I wasn't considering the timing." He sighed and looked around at the expectant faces. Jeffrey had seated himself on the floor on Sloan's left. Lewis sat in the chair to the right of the chaise that he and Sloan occupied. Ed and Alexa were also on the floor, but on his right, between the chair and the chaise, and Karl was sitting…no, crouched, between Lewis and Jeffrey. "Mark had asked me to take a look at some of the reports that Anja had…appropriated from the council or I'd be just as uninformed. It seems that there was some unauthorized interference with the contraceptive substitute given to the targeted mothers of the current crop. It contained an early version of the genetic re-sequencing formula."

"Why? The offspring of dominants and sapiens are always dominant," Lewis said.

"Yes, they are. The scientist responsible had some grandiose idea of improving on our evolutionary gains."

Ed snorted. "As if they weren't impressive enough as they are."

He gave his tall friend a quelling look. "The re-sequencing only affects the nervous system advances, particularly those associated with sensing, empathic abilities, and projection."

"Interesting," his mentor commented.

Sloan snapped out, "It's not interesting, it's damned scary!"

"Take it easy, I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Tom, you can't be with me every second."

"No? Watch…"

"Tom! A synopsis of the affect this had on the children's abilities and why you think we are particularly at risk would be helpful at this point," Lewis interjected.

He sighed again. "We're only certain about one of them. A male, about nine years old, that is able to use his augmented abilities to confuse and sometimes control his targets. We discovered him after he'd killed two older and much larger sapiens boys that were harassing him…the harvest hadn't occurred yet and he was still living with his mother and her husband."

"Who had no idea of their son's true parentage, I should imagine."

"Right. His name is Kevin Taylor. That's the name on his birth certificate, at any rate. If he'd been born among our kind, he'd be known as Kevin Richards." His smile was wry as he watched Lewis digest the information.

"All right, so we have the breeder that sired one of these children here…" Lewis began.

"Monsters. He's not a child, he's a monster."

"Sloan, you're overreacting."

"He didn't try to make you kill yourself," his mate retorted.

"And I don't think he wanted your bod, buddy," Ed added.

"He did try to control me, but he failed. I'm not sure if it was because he can't affect our kind, or if I'm simply too strong for him to control." He thought about that for a moment. "Actually, if it's the latter, you won't need to worry about Keri, Lewis."

"Keridwen has very powerful gifts, but she can't shield worth a damn." Lewis stretched his legs out and crossed them at the ankles. "I've tried to teach her, but she has the attention span of a gnat for that sort of training…she's always been self-taught and can't manage to follow my attempts to teach her new skills."

"There's nothing wrong with Keri's shielding. Hell, she can block you out," Jeffrey said, his confusion evident.

"True, but that was because she was concentrating on supporting her shields. They fade without her constant attention. She would be vulnerable the moment she relaxed."

"Well, Keri learned how to connect with another's mind easily enough. Maybe you're just going about it wrong. Have you tried connecting with her and doing nothing but having her watch you build automatically sustaining shields?"

Lewis stared at him rather blankly. "No. No I haven't." His eyelids dropped and Tom could feel his mentor's annoyance. "I should have thought of that," he continued in a sour tone. "It isn't as though I didn't have direct experience of her learning that way.

"Yes, you should have," Tom said, not quite able to suppress the grin. "Okay, so she's as much at risk as Sloan…or any of the other sapiens on the property. Yes, Karl," he said as the big man glanced at him sharply. "Tracie is in danger from this boy as well."

... ...

Karl brooded as Jeffrey and the chameleons continued to discuss the new threat. He'd put Tracie at risk. He should have just kept on walking, however figuratively. Now, because of his inability to control his need for her, her life was in serious danger. He didn't realize the bedroom door had been opened until he felt T's hand gently stroke his neck. "Can't sleep?" he asked.

"No. Everyone looked so worried; thinking about it was making me too restless."

"Okay." He shifted to one knee, stabilizing his position by bending the other so that his thigh was parallel to the floor. "Here, sit."

She smiled, sat on his thigh and curled one arm around his shoulder. Her attention then turned to the loose circle made by their guests, and he could feel her concentration as she tried to get a handle on the discussion. He didn't offer to fill her in; he'd discovered the hard way that she detested being coddled, as she called it. Finally, she sighed and leaned back against his chest. "So, are we sure this uber-keiki was actually with his fath…uh, sire?"

"Uber what?" Jeffrey asked.

"Keiki," Ed supplied, overriding T's attempt to explain. "Keiki is the Hawaiian word for child or children."

"I could have told them that," she muttered, but not quietly enough to keep her irritation private.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry, Tracie. Sloan can tell you that when I've got my head in research mode I just automatically answer questions, even if I wasn't the one asked."

Her eyes widened as she realized she'd complained aloud. "Okaaaay."

Karl tightened his arm around her waist reassuringly. "Ed's our surfing guru. He's been to the islands often."

"Yeah, the waves at the Pipeline are awesome in winter. I love having the water surrounding me like that…the rest of the world just seems to go away."

"Do you think we can get back to the subject?" Alexa asked. "I'd like to make certain we are sure about what we're dealing with so that we can decide if it's safe to go ahead with the ceremony tomor…uh, later today."

"We are _not_ canceling the wedding," Lewis almost growled. "I will not have Keridwen disappointed because of this. We don't even know that this child was with his sire."

"Actually, we do." Tom shrugged at Lewis' glare. "The most recent report on the project lists the children, their sires, and their disposition. Kevin was deemed psychologically stable enough for rudimentary training and was released to Richard Allen. Obviously someone unqualified did the testing."

"Look, he's nine years old; no matter what his other gifts he wouldn't have been able to hide his presence from Lewis. His sire must have left him somewhere…I think it's safe to assume that, since Lewis was able to pick up Richard but not Kevin," Karl began.

"And his dad hasn't come back to him. You said human, uh, sapiens parents raised him. He's going to stay put until he gets scared, or until he's absolutely sure that his father isn't coming back…I mean, he's got a big stake in pleasing the only parent he's got now, right?"

"You're correct, Tracie," Lewis told her. "Thank you for pointing that out."

Karl stared at Lewis. Obviously T hadn't been exaggerating when she claimed that Lewis had been more than kind to her. "So, we won't need to be overly concerned about safety tonight or probably not even tomorrow, but we're going to need help soon. If we can't get it, we'll need to find Kevin and eliminate the threat."

... ...

The smell of a bagel with cream cheese greeted her as she woke. Keri blinked the sleep out of her eyes and looked around. Lewis was sitting cross-legged on his side of the bed, a breakfast tray balanced on his lap. In addition to the plate that held the bagel, the tray held peeled orange sections, a glass of milk and another of orange juice, and a barely opened rosebud in a small vase. "Hmm, I hope this means I've got you trained right," she told her mate. He raised an eyebrow but had evidently felt the teasing, as he didn't look angry or offended.

"Hardly. You'll find that most dominant males are un-trainable, at least in the sense that you mean." His head tilted so that he could look her straight in the eyes. "I want today to be perfect for you."

She pushed herself up and crawled across the bed towards him. He didn't realize her intention until almost the last second and was hard pressed to set the tray safely aside before she reached him and threw her arms around his neck. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Now both eyebrows were up. "Yes, yesterday as a matter of fact."

"No, yesterday I just told you that I loved you, not how much."

"Ah, I stand corrected."

"Looks more like you're sitting to me." He moved to stretch out his legs and she promptly sat on them. "Now we're both sitting."

"Cherished, what am I to do with you?" Lewis asked, his amusement spilling out.

She frowned, pretending to consider the rhetorical question. "Um, love me? No, you already do that. Hmm, indulge me? No, no, you do that too. Ah, I've got it," she crowed. "You can marry me!"

Her mate chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I could do that." He grunted as she shifted her weight suddenly so that he was forced to drop backward to lie on the bed. "Keridwen, are you sure it isn't you who needs the training? I do enjoy our physical closeness, but…"

"Okay, spoil sport," she grumbled and rolled off of him and into the breakfast tray. Her eyes flew open as her back made contact with the wooden handle, and she made a vain attempt to stop moving. "Ohhh!" Lewis reached under and around her and grabbed the tray with one hand, lifting it into the air. "Phew, that was close." She'd spoken a moment too soon. As she cringed in horror, the tray tilted, spilling the juice, the milk, and the contents of the vase right onto Lewis' head. "Uh oh."

... ...

Lewis sighed as the milk, orange juice, and water dripped over his face. He could feel the rose perched incongruously on top of his head. "I should have known that the tray wouldn't have been safe so long as you were on the same piece of furniture." He reached up and removed the flower, glaring mildly as she dissolved into giggles. "I didn't think it was that funny, my own."

"I'm sorry," she finally managed. "It's just that you always look so dignified, and…oh dear." She bit her bottom lip as she scrambled to her knees and retrieved the box of tissues from her nightstand. "Here, love. Let me get some of that gunk off of you." Lewis sat patiently while she blotted up the liquid from his hair and body and carefully dried his face. "I bet you'd already had your shower, huh?"

"Yes. I wanted to be clear of the bathroom so that you could have it as long as you needed."

"Oh, that's so sweet." She sighed and sat back on her heels. "And I've gone and ruined all of your hard work."

Surprisingly, he found that he could smile about it. "No, cherished, taking another shower isn't a problem, and you did enjoy waking up to breakfast in bed." His expression was wry as he looked at the mess that had been made of the sheets. "About that training…do you think you could learn the difference between having your breakfast in bed and having it on the bed?"

"Oh, Lewis." Keridwen reached for the tray that was again sitting on the mattress and snagged the miraculously undamaged bagel. "You knew that you were marrying a klutz. I've been a klutz for nearly forty years; I don't think that's going to change any time soon."

"Hmm. Then perhaps you should have warned me before I initiated our bond." He frowned as he felt the hurt wash through her. "Keridwen, reach out and feel before you get upset," he snapped. Her expression cleared as she realized he had been teasing her. "I do know how to tease and that_ is_ something you need to learn. You upset yourself needlessly."

"I know. It's that self-esteem thing, I guess. Sigh."

Yes, she had actually said the word 'sigh', he thought as his eyebrows rose. "Is it? I've found you to be very confident in yourself lately." He reached for her and she smiled as she moved into his embrace. "It is very attractive."

"Well, I've been confident because I know how much you love me. Besides, with the bond and all you're stuck with me, so I don't have anything to worry about."

"No, Keridwen, it's more than that. You've been very positive about everything."

She looked up at him and smiled. "I guess it's because I finally found a way to be useful around here. Mark doesn't have any lawyers in his section of the faction, and even though I never graduated, let alone took the Bar, I have still kept up with changes in legislation and precedents. I kind of felt I had to stay ahead of things considering the work I was doing for different prosecutors' offices and all of the crap Dani and my grandfather were into." Her head dropped to his shoulder, she rubbed her soft cheek against the tendon that ran from behind his ear to his collarbone and sighed deeply. He felt a slight twinge of grief run through her. "Do you think he was really happy for me? I mean, you know, at the end?"

A bit more moisture dripped onto his neck, and Lewis knew that if he pulled Keridwen away from her huddled position he'd see tears on her cheeks. His ever softhearted mate. He took a deep breath and squeezed her gently. "Your grandfather died for you, my own. I'm certain that he was not only happy for you, but very proud of you as well."

If anything, his neck became even wetter and stifled sobs arose from where her mouth was now pressed against the hollow of his shoulder. That wasn't what he'd intended, he was beginning to suspect that her emotions were more turbulent than usual because of the wedding. "I think so too," she finally said in a small voice. "And…and I think he was really happy about the baby. Between Dani's, um, preferences and my not being able to find someone who loved me he was starting to grump about never getting to be a great-grandfather." She sat up and reached for the box of tissues, extracted several, then wiped her face and blew her nose. "I wish he could have lived to hold her…uh, or him."

Lewis shook his head, grinning ruefully. His teasing about her giving him a son had not been forgotten. "Well, perhaps it's for the best, cherished. He'd have had a hell of a time accepting that his granddaughter had borne a child of the species he'd tried to eradicate."

"But maybe…ah, well. It doesn't matter. I guess I just hate it that he never got a chance to redeem himself. He really did take very good care of me and Dani, even if he almost never showed his feelings. And he did help a lot of people in his life." Keridwen looked up at him and frowned as she evidently felt his carefully neutral response. "Okay, I guess nothing could have really made up for all of the deaths he caused among your people. Hell, love, he was the only family I had left besides Dani."

He allowed his mood to soften and pulled her back into his arms for a gentle kiss. "I know. And I understand. Other than Tom and Alexa, the only family I have is a half-sibling and Jane. Probably only Damien now."

"Your brother is only a half-sib?" she asked as he nodded. "Oh. Is he as handsome as you are?" his mate teased.

... ...

That had been a bad question to ask, Keri decided as Lewis shut down their link. "Ask your sib," he said coldly. "He's the one who impregnated her, if you recall." Lewis slipped off of the bed and stood, his expression reopening along with their connection. "I apologize, my own. Damien is the current chairman of the council and he's a bit of a sore subject."

"He's responsible for them not rescuing you, isn't he?" she stated more than asked.

"Yes. He's always felt that I was too arrogant. Not that he was any less so, we are our sire's sons, but since he's my elder he always felt that he should be the more honored of the two of us. It rankled that even as council chairman he did not have as much influence as I did."

Keri frowned and wrapped her arms around her bond mate's…her fiancé's waist. "Okay, I think we've talked about enough unpleasant relatives for one morning. Go get your second shower and get out of here so I can start to get ready. We've only got maybe four hours."

His eyebrows shot up and he looked at her closely, smiling as he realized she was teasing. "Yes, and you'll need every second of it, I'm sure," he chuckled. "Shall I call downstairs for a new breakfast tray?"

She looked over her shoulder. The other half of the bagel sat on the tray where she'd left it. It was cold now, but that was okay, and the orange sections were scattered over the sheet, but were still intact. "No, it's still edible, and we've got milk in our fridge. Go shower, love, and don't forget to leave me some hot water and dry towels."

... ...

Sloan smiled as she kissed Tom at the door to their suite. "I can't wait to see you in that tux," she told him. "You are going to be the sexiest looking man there…and you're all mine."

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" he asked hopefully.

"Well, maybe. But if you pull something like that again, I'm really going to be upset with you." Her smile deepened as he turned her in his arms and cupped her still all but flat tummy with his hands. "Didn't you think I'd be happy about it?"

"It's not that, I told you why."

"Yes, I know. You assumed I could tell because your women always know. Tom, you've got to stop assuming where we're concerned. You know that I don't know anything, really, about your people or your culture. I thought I did, but boy did coming here really burst that bubble."

His mouth began doing delicious things to her ear. "Yes, you had a few misconceptions," he said softly. "But part of that was my fault, I steered you wrong."

"Mmm. I'll give you until next year to stop doing that." She arched her neck back as he nibbled down the left side, mouthing the scar that adorned the skin covering the jugular. Shivering, she reached back over her shoulder with her left hand and pulled his head tighter against her neck. "God, Tom. This is not a good morning to start something like this," she moaned.

"Like what?" he asked, trying for an innocent tone and failing miserably, partly due to the fact that his right hand was busy caressing her breast.

"Don't play innocent with me; doesn't work." She turned to face him as he pulled away, smiling again as she felt his reluctance to end the foreplay. "You're worse than your cousin in that respect."

He did succeed in looking offended. "No, Sloan, you've got it all wrong. I'm _better _than Lewis in that respect."

She chuckled, kissed him quickly, grabbed the extra long garment bag from the hook on the back of the door, and fled.

Speaking of cousins, she thought as she reached the juncture of the three wings at the same time as Lewis, or is that devils? "Good morning, Lewis. Is Keri ready for her attendants?"

"She's in the shower," he told her tersely.

"Oh. I thought she did baths?"

His eyebrows rose. "Not when she doesn't have company."

A blush colored her cheeks. Lewis and Keri in that ornate bathtub together, not a picture she really wanted in her head. "Oh," she said, trying to buy herself time to deal with her embarrassment. "Well, she should be done soon, then."

Lewis looked her straight in the eye; his sardonic expression assuring her that he knew exactly what she was thinking. "Yes, she should. Make sure she leaves enough time for me to come put her hair up once it's dry and she's dressed. She's a bit flustered this morning, I can't imagine why, and she'll probably forget."

"Well of course she's…oh. You were being sarcastic; I got that. Okay, not right away, I'll admit, but..."

A silver eyebrow rose again as those bright blue eyes stared her down. A very nice blue, she decided, but she really preferred Tom's blue-gray color. "Are you too flustered to remember?" he asked as she broke off the stare. "Shall I ask Anja or Dr. Townsend to remind her?"

"Why is it still Dr. Townsend?" Sloan had to ask. "You're even on a first name basis with Tracie, for God's sake."

He shrugged. "She has a certain public dignity, I suppose. And, she fears me."

"Oh. And I don't?"

His head tilted in a manner very reminiscent of Tom, even the slightly quizzical expression was similar. "You are now my cousin, Sloan. You have nothing to fear from me. I've gone to a great deal of trouble, and put my own life at risk repeatedly, to ensure Tom's survival. Were I to harm you, or allow harm to come to you I might as well have killed him myself, he would be just as dead."

She stared up at him. He was quite serious. "You'd protect me if someone else tried to harm me?"

He nodded. "To a certain extent. I wouldn't take any serious risks with my own life for you as that would put my mate at risk, something which I'm sure you can understand I am reluctant to do."

"Oh, of course. I…I can understand that." She shifted uncomfortably. "Keri's right. You and Tom really need to start explaining things better; we're stumbling along in the dark too often."

Lewis sighed. "I know. With you it's easy for me to remember, but with Keridwen…because of the nature of her adaptation, she sometimes even feels like one of my own kind. It causes her a great deal of unnecessary upset."

Sloan unexpectedly found herself feeling sympathy for the man who at one time had planned to have her killed, and who still regularly terrified her. She mentally shook herself, and began to move toward the corridor Lewis had just left. "I'd better get down there, there's still a lot to do, and only about three hours to do it in," she said seriously.

Masculine laughter rang out, echoing in the hall. Sloan stared at Lewis in surprise. "What's the matter, Sloan? Did you think I had no sense of humor?"

"Well, no…I mean, yes. I've just never seen you, uh, exhibit it before."

He shrugged. "We haven't shared any occasions that lent themselves to humor."

She smiled remembering the similar conversation she had with Tom in that cheap motel…it seemed a lifetime ago. "No, I guess we haven't. I really hope we do in the future."

He sobered abruptly. "There's yet a great deal of danger for all of us, Sloan. More than Kevin, we have the council to deal with; Tom and I are the subjects of a termination order." She shivered, then her eyes widened as he reached out his hand to gently squeeze her shoulder. "Don't be overly concerned, though. Even if they choose to ignore the prohibition against harming a bonded pair, we're more than up to the challenge. Since we are standing together, there is little the council can do to best us." With that reassuring, albeit arrogant statement, he continued on to her and Tom's suite, a garment bag that no doubt contained his tux slung over his shoulder.

... ...

Ach, great, the bimbo. Anja frowned darkly as she trudged up the hall towards her sib's suite where Sloan Parker stood waiting at the door. A slight sound caught her attention and she stiffened, relaxing when she identified the bioelectric signature of Jeffrey's paramour. That one was okay. She was level headed and she dressed like a scientist, though a fashionable one. "Morning," she mumbled to both of them, remembering Keri's wish that she be polite to the sapiens females.

"Good morning, Anja," the bim…Sloan said. "Have a good night?"

Her chin rose haughtily. "Of course. As did Mark."

Caryn Townsend chuckled ruefully. "I'm glad someone did. These late night emergency meetings are wreaking havoc on my love life."

"What emergency?" She glared at the two redheads.

"Well, it turned out that it wasn't something immediate, so Lewis and Karl decided there was no need to disturb you and Mark. I'm sure Karl will explain after things settle down a bit this evening," Caryn said quickly.

"Hmm. Okay. Good thing, would not have liked interruption."

"Yeah, Lewis kind of knew that."

Anja grinned. "Ja, he would." She reached out and turned the door handle. It wasn't locked. "So why you standing out here?" she asked the…Sloan.

"Well, Lewis told me she was in the shower, so I didn't want to startle her."

She shook her head. "Trottel. Keri can sense you, she would know you there." Sloan shrugged, but didn't look or feel put out by the insult. Evidently she didn't understand Deutsche. Caryn, on the other hand, was biting her bottom lip and had lowered her eyes to hide the reluctant amusement Anja felt from her. "She's probably wondering why you just standing out here." Shaking her head, she opened the door and strode into the suite and through to the bedroom.

"Did Keri make any…" Caryn began as she followed her. "Oh, yes she did." The woman walked up to the closet and hung her dress on the nearly empty rod beside Anja's. "Sloan, you going to hang your dress up?"

"Sure." The bim…Sloan, reached between them to put away her dress then pulled back and stood awkwardly.

Anja smirked as she hopped up onto the bed and sat cross-legged in the middle of the comforter that covered it. Caryn sat down more sedately on the edge and then tucked one leg up under her. The…other one continued to stand. "You got something against sitting?" she asked.

"I guess I just don't feel comfortable in here. I mean, this is their bedroom, for God's sake."

Containing her disdain was very difficult. "Ja, it's their bedroom, not a shrine. What's your problem? You got the hots for Lewis?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"Then you got the hots for Keri?"

"No! How can you say such a thing?"

"Well, it either that or you're me…"

"Anja, don't start this today, it'll spoil your sib's wedding," Caryn scolded.

"Okay, okay. I stop." She held back a snicker. Caryn had asked her not to start it today; she hadn't said she shouldn't start it some other time. Jeffrey's female was okay, even if she was sapiens.

... ...

Keri shook her head as she watched her bridesmaids…bicker, was the only word she could come up with. Maybe she should lock Anja and Sloan up together in a room…oh no. That would be a bad idea. She'd lose a bridesmaid and Lewis would lose his best man…permanently. chuckling quietly to herself, she cinched the belt of her robe and opened the door the rest of the way. "Hey, guys. Sorry, I'm running late, had a bit of an accident here this morning."

"You okay?" her sib asked.

She giggled, "Yes, I'm fine. Nothing got damaged except Lewis' dignity, and no, I am not going to tell you about it."

"He being idiot about it?"

"No, actually he managed to even laugh, I was surprised…but then, he does seem to understand how important today is to me. He's been so sweet and tender all morning; it's amazing. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Sloan was staring at her, her expression echoing the disbelief Keri could feel. "Sweet and tender…Lewis?"

"I know, it's gotta be pretty hard for you to believe, Sloan, but he's really a good man." Now all three of them were giving her funny looks. "Okay, okay! Yes, he's incredibly arrogant and he's got an ego bigger than Mount Everest, but…ah, never mind, I'm biased."

... ...

Lewis lounged on the chaise in Tom's suite, reading through a file that Jeffrey had brought in. The council was making some rather intricate plans for October and the arrival of Kewley's comet. Most of them would have no impact regardless of what choices…hopefully choice, that he and Tom made, but some they would need to prepare to counter. He rubbed one hand over his face tiredly. The choices were admittedly limited, but he'd be damned if he'd choose to fight his own people to gain peace. Let the coexistence faction ferment what could so easily become a civil war, he would not support it. And, if he could make her see reason, neither would his mate.

He looked up. Ed Tate was approaching the door. The young doctor seemed distinctly sleepy. Jeffrey had crossed the sitting room and was at the door before the second knock sounded. The sapiens' face registered surprise as he stood with his hand raised to knock again. "Come in, Ed," Jeffrey told him. "It's about time you got here."

"It's all Alexa's fault, I swear," Tate mumbled. "Took forever to get ready with her…uh…"

Lewis' eyebrow rose and he compressed his lips to avoid smiling as Tate belatedly realized he was there. "Good morning, Dr. Tate," he said solemnly.

"Uh, morning…uh, she just hogged the bathroom, uh, you know how women are." The young man's face was turning a fascinating shade of pink.

"Really?" Lewis toyed with the idea of accepting the lie then discarded it. The opportunity to embarrass Tate was far too entertaining to pass up. "At our Nevada facility she was often the cause of her lovers arriving late for morning meetings and such. Of course, the delays then were always caused by her appetite for morning sex."

Tate's eyes widened and that long jaw of his dropped. The pink in his cheeks had faded to a strained white. "Well…um…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"Lewis, cut him a break. He has to deal with Alexa 24/7, don't complicate it for him," Jeffrey said.

"I've never found sunrise sex to be particularly complicated," he responded guilelessly. "In fact, I find it to be rather straightforward and…"

... ...

"Oh God. Please stop," Ed moaned, wincing as he realized how pathetic that had to have sounded. "Okay, yeah, it was the sex. There, I've said it. I had sex with your daughter this morning Lewis, do you have a problem with that?"

The former chameleon master shrugged. "No. But considering you _are_, or at least were raised,_ s_apiens, I would have preferred that you had made love with her."

Ed felt his jaw dropping again, and resolutely shut it. "Oh, man," he muttered and took a deep breath while trying to figure out how in hell he could respond to that statement without getting his ass kicked…figuratively or literally. Seemed like total honesty would be his best bet. He sat down in the dark blue wing-backed chair that faced the matching chaise, chewing thoughtfully on his lower lip.

Jeffrey leaned back against the room divider that separated the small kitchen from the sitting room and snickered. "Cat got your tongue, Ed?" he asked. "Or was that Alexa?" He retreated behind the divider when both of them turned to glare at him.

Ed shook his head and turned back to face Lewis. "Well," he finally began. "Sure, it was making love on my part. Look, I don't know how things like this work with your people, and I don't want to make an ass out of myself, or at least not more of an ass than I have to." He paused as Tom came out of the bedroom, dressed in his tux pants with the white shirt on, but not yet buttoned or tucked in. "I mean, I'd like this to be a committed relationship of some kind, I don't really care what it's called or if there's a certificate for it or not."

"So, what's the problem?" Tom asked while Lewis sat silent and motionless except for the restless movement of his fingers tapping on the arm of the chaise.

"I don't have a problem, Alexa does."

Lewis snorted. "Of course she does. You were raised sapiens."

"No, that's not the problem, you are. I mean, not you personally, the whole dominants versus sapiens, everyone's on the brink of war thing. She wants to keep things casual, I think she's worried how I'd take it if fighting did break out and, well, she didn't make it." He twisted his long fingers together and stared at the floor glumly.

... ...

She had a point, Lewis thought. While he wouldn't have to worry about leaving Keridwen behind, alone and grief stricken, there was the greater issue of Keridwen dying from the shock if he were killed, and taking their unborn offspring with her. He shook the thought off. "So you, in your typical sapiens stubbornness, are pursuing the relationship anyway."

"Damn right I am. Alexa is an incredible woman. She's intelligent, athletic, charming – when she wants to be, and beautiful. I've never met a woman remotely like her before. I'm not going to just give up and walk away."

"Good for you, Ed," Tom interjected, just as he was about to respond. Lewis gave his cousin a quelling look, noted with rising exasperation that it had little effect and then turned back to the partially adapted researcher.

"Tate, I'm going to say this once. If you think you might forget it, I suggest you write it down. I have no interest in the sex life of any of my offspring…of those that are sexually mature, that is. It is their business, not mine, and I will stay out of it regardless of what I might think of their choice in mates." His head tilted as he noted the young man's wide eyes, uneasy demeanor, and full attention to his words. "However, if anyone, including a mate causes harm, physical or psychological, to any one of my offspring, that person will die…painfully. Are we clear on this?"

"Yes, crystal. Lewis, you know that I would never hurt her, even if I could."

"If she comes to care for you, you could easily hurt her, regardless of your intent to do otherwise. Keep that in mind, hmm?"

... ...

Keri shook her head at the not so good-natured bickering that continued to come from the other room. She reached for the doorknob, stopped and looked back at the counter with a sigh. Dropping back down onto the vanity bench, she dutifully replaced all the caps on her cleansers and moisturizers, and placed them back in their drawers. A glance in the mirror reminded her that she had left her nightgown and several towels scattered across the floor. She pursed her lips mutinously and then got up to collect them. They were draped over her left arm as she emerged from the dressing room.

She blinked at the small crowd that had gathered. The suite was filled, not only with her attendants, but also with all of the other sapiens women on the property…oh, and Alexa. "Well, good morning," she said, raising her voice so that she could be heard over the chatter. Surprisingly, almost the entire group quieted.

"Good morning, Keri. I thought I would come to help you with your makeup," Alexa told her as she made her way to the closet. "I've had…"

"Don't tell me, let me guess. You learned how to be a cosmetician for one of your chameleon assignments."

"Ah, yes."

"Cool. I always either use too much or too little, thanks for thinking of it." Keri dumped the laundry into the basket and then looked through the bedroom door. Amy was sitting on the bottom half of the chaise; Beth was sitting in the chair-like portion. Tracie was over by the kitchen pouring orange juice. She was still talking, Keri wasn't sure to whom.

Caryn reached out and tapped the Asian woman on the shoulder. She turned and broke off in mid-sentence. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I didn't hear you come out," the deaf woman said with a mischievous grin as Keri walked into the sitting room.

"No, I guess not. We're having orange juice?" she asked hopefully. "I kind of lost mine this morning."

"Well, sort of. We're having mimosas, but you can have plain OJ if you really want it. Or straight champagne for that matter."

"Hmm, straight champagne sounds lovely, but I'm already worried about tripping down the aisle and ending up flat on the ground at my groom's feet. I really don't think I should up the odds on that. Of course, it wouldn't be good for the baby, either." She frowned for a second, considering. "How about a lot of juice with just a _little_ bit of champagne?"

"One mimosa, extra light on the bubbly, coming right up."

"Me too, please," Sloan spoke up. "Since I've got the same problem."

... ...

Beth sat quietly, sipping a glass of champagne. She suppressed a sigh at the happy activity surrounding her. She should have been firmer when Amy had insisted she come. Kurt had been talking about them getting married in Reno this December when they met up with her parents who made an annual pilgrimage to the casinos there. Such a damn waste, and it was all because he couldn't hold his temper with authority figures. She downed the rest of the glass and set it on a nearby occasional table. A hand dropping on her shoulder startled her and she looked up at Sloan's concerned face. "I'm okay, really." Okay, so that was a little fib.

"Thinking about Kurt, huh?" Sloan said as she replaced Amy on the chaise. Amy looked at the two of them, wrinkled her nose, and then headed for the kitchen, probably for more champagne.

"Yeah, just a bit. Maybe I shoulda stayed in my room."

"No way. You need to socialize. I'm glad you're here and I'll bet Keri is, too."

"Probably. Though I'm sure she's not lonely today."

"Uh, well, no. I guess not." Sloan was frowning quizzically. "Is she usually lonely?"

"Yeah. And bored. You all are always too busy. And I'm too depressed most of the time to be much help, ya know?"

"No, I guess I didn't." Sloan frowned and looked down at her hands. "I guess I've been too busy being happy with Tom that I haven't been thinking about anyone else. Beth, I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. From all I've heard, you deserved some good times, right?"

"Well, maybe I was a little overdue. But now that things are settling down, we need to hang out." The scientist's gesture encompassed everyone in the suite. "Maybe have a girls' video night every week or so…or maybe our own exercise group."

Beth chuckled. "Oh, Sloan. I don't think Anja or Alexa would really enjoy the videos, and they sure don't need more exercise."

"Well, I actually meant the rest of us."

"You don't like Anja and Alexa?"

Sloan squirmed slightly in her seat. "It's not that. Well, not with Alexa, she just, I don't know, kind of overwhelms me if you know what I mean."

"Yeah. She can be kinda frosty too, but she's okay, maybe she just needs to know she's welcome to hang?"

"Maybe," Sloan said doubtfully.

"So, what've you got against Anja?"

"It's more what she has against me. I mean, what did I ever do to her? She's been a total bitch since she first laid eyes on me."

Murphy's law kicked in and Beth's eyes widened as silence enveloped the room just in time for the last part of Sloan's statement to be heard by everyone.

... ...

Alexa let her eyes drift closed, just for a second. Then she moved to grab Anja as the courier started across the room, the determined look on the younger female's face complimenting the anger running through her. "No, come with me," she ordered quietly.

"I'm not…"

"Anja!" Keri hissed. "Enough."

Alexa pulled Anja back into the bedroom; Keri followed them and shut the door behind her.

"Let me go," Anja growled insistently.

"I don't think so. You do not want to create an incident on your sib's wedding day."

"Or any other day," Keri interjected. "Anja, hon, you have no right to get angry with Sloan over this. She's just being honest. You _have_ been a bitch to her from day one, and it's got to stop. I mean, jeez, even with you treating her like shit, she still risked her life for you."

"But you don't und…"

"Yes, actually, I do. She's evidently the epitome of all you've ever disliked about sapiens women, and while I can understand that you don't want to be her friend or even be around her if you don't absolutely have to, you've got to lighten up, okay?" She frowned and wrapped her arms around her sib's waist. "Let it go, for me?" she asked in a cajoling voice.

Anja glared at Keri and then looked up at Alexa. Before she could open her mouth, Alexa interjected, "Anja, you're not going to get anywhere with Lewis' training if you can't disguise your contempt for another. He considers that a lack of self-control, and he will not allow your training to progress until that self-control is learned."

"Ah, scheisse," Anja muttered. "Fine, I be nice to the…uh, to _her_."

"Thank you," Keri said. "Come on, sweetie, let's go party!"

... ...

Lewis paced the length of the sitting room. What was taking his mate and her attendants so long? Well over two hours had passed and she still was not ready to have her hair put up? Perhaps they'd simply forgotten to call him. He turned on his heel and stalked to the phone. Tom looked up at him from where he'd replaced him on the chaise and raised an eyebrow. "Keridwen must be ready to have her hair done by now," he muttered to satisfy his cousin's curiosity.

Tom shrugged. "Have you ever watched a female prepare for an important event? A sapiens female," he qualified.

"It took Keridwen about an hour to get ready for dinner last night. But she was dawdling."

"And you think she won't dawdle today of all days?" Ed commented; looking up from the game of chess he was playing with Jeffrey. "Jeez, who says _dawdle _anymore?"

Lewis turned to glare at the doctor, but was distracted by Jeffrey's snicker. He turned the glare on him instead and was somewhat gratified at how quickly the amusement was quelled and the chess game resumed. Punching the extension for his suite's house phone, he turned his back on the other men. The phone rang at least eight times before it was answered; the din in the background explained the delay.

Beth looked around; she could swear she'd heard a phone ring. It rang again. Looking in the direction of the sound, she spotted it half-hidden under the pile of wrapping paper that had resulted from the impromptu bridal shower they had surprised Keri with. She lunged for it, settled on the floor and held it to her ear. "Hel-lo, party central," she said. There was no immediate response. It suddenly occurred to Beth that all but two of the sapiens in the complex, well, one if you didn't count Ed Tate, were in this room and that the caller would likely not see the humor in her greeting. "Uh, I mean, Lewis and Keri's suite, can I help you?"

A deep sigh emerged from the receiver. "This is Lewis," the caller's voice finally said. "Is my mate ready to have her hair done yet? We're due on the lawn in a little more than an hour."

"Oh, hold on, hon, I'll check." Beth located the bride-to-be and yelled into the other room, "Hey, Keri! When are you gonna be ready to have your hair put up?"

"Any time now," Keri shouted back.

"Lewis?" Beth said into the phone. "She's says she's ready anytime you are."

"Very well." He hung up without saying anything further.

"Huh. How rude."

Lewis could hear the noise in his suite before he was halfway down his private hall. Considering the amount of soundproofing materials he'd had built into the walls that was quite an accomplishment. He mentally braced himself as he reached the door, opened it and began to enter. He was greeted with a number of shrill shrieks and the sight of his mate standing before him in her lingerie, pulling a champagne bottle away from her mouth and staring at him, her expression horrified. "Cherished," he began.

"Lewis! You can't be in here!" With that, also shrill, pronouncement she threw herself at the door, startling him enough that she was able to push him back out of the room and slam the door in his face.

He stared at the door, somewhat taken aback. Well, perhaps greatly taken aback, even bordering on shocked. The shrieking was almost understandable, several of the females were in various stages of undress, but he'd been told it was time to come and do his mate's hair so they should have been prepared. The door slamming was less forgivable, but it was Keridwen's champagne guzzling that truly angered him. How dare she endanger their offspring! And just to top everything else off the closing door had hit his still somewhat weaker left knee and it was throbbing painfully. He carefully reigned in his temper and knocked loudly on the door, deciding to give her a chance to explain.

"Lewis, go _away_!" yelled his mate, her voice muffled by the closed door.

In the background, he could hear a virtual cascade of giggles and laughter. Enough was enough. The locks had not been engaged; even with the noise, he would have heard that. He turned the knob and pushed, met resistance and shoved the door open. As he stepped back inside the shrieks erupted again and he was just in time to see Keridwen tumble into a heap on the floor. He noticed that she managed not to spill any of the alcohol. Her priorities were definitely misplaced and they _would_ be discussing it. "I was under the impression that you had three attendants, my own. Why are there eight women here?"

Keridwen took his offered hand, and he pulled her up and into his embrace. "We had a party," she said defensively.

His eyes flicked around the room, noting the mess. "I can see that. Couldn't the partying wait until after the ceremony?"

"No. This is a bridal shower, that has to happen before the wedding," she told him and then took another deep drink from the champagne bottle.

"We need to talk," he said firmly, steering her towards the bedroom.

"Nooo, you can't go in there, my dress is in there!" she wailed. "You're not supposed to see it before the wedding starts!"

This was getting ridiculous."Keridwen, we will talk either here or there. I don't believe you will be pleased with doing so here," he warned her.

"Lewissssss." She looked up at him, took in his expression and his mood, and swiftly acquiesced. "Whatever. Fine."

"When we come out, I expect to find only bridesmaids here," he announced to the other females as he slammed the door behind them.

"Wow, what a sourpuss," Amy grumbled. "Not to mention a party-pooper. Hey, isn't it supposed to be that he can't see her _in_ the dress before the wedding?"

"I think you're right," Tracie said. "Hmm, I guess this is what everybody meant about his moods, huh?"

"Nah, this is mild. I seen him go off way worse, lots of times."

"I've seen," Alexa corrected Amy absently. "Many times."

"Yeah, whatever."

"He meant it, so get your things together and get moving, we do not wish to make the situation more difficult." She watched as the three sapiens women gathered their things and headed for the door.

"Hey, what about you, hon?" Beth asked.

"I still have to do Keri's makeup. If he has a problem with that, then he and I will…discuss it." She snapped a glance at Anja, who was snickering quietly. The door finally closed, leaving her with Sloan, Caryn, and the courier. "Anja, displaying some control would be an excellent idea at the moment. I'm not sure why Lewis is in such a touchy mood, but we'd be well advised not to aggravate it any more than necessary."

"Right."

"What, dominants don't get cold feet or nerves before things like this?" Caryn asked.

"I don't know what you mean by that."

"You know, because it means a big change in your life, you start second-guessing your decision and…oh. Lewis already had the big change when they bonded. I guess he wouldn't sweat a wedding ceremony."

"Hmm, no. But something else may be bothering him. He's done this before, with his first bond mate."

"PTSD?" Sloan said.

"Quite possibly. He does seem to have control of that, overall, but this could be more stressful than he expected and has perhaps caught him unprepared."

"Oh. Okay, so what do we do now? All of our dresses and such are in the bedroom."

Alexa shrugged at Tom's mate. "We clean up the mess in here and then we wait."

... ...

Keri sat on the bed where Lewis had pushed her and stared at him sullenly. He was pacing back and forth, obviously terribly annoyed about something, but didn't seem to be able to put it into words. She suppressed a sigh and took another drink. He turned on his heel, glared at her, and then snatched the bottle from her hand and threw it against the wall. "Oww," she moaned, pressing on her face over her front teeth. They'd been sharply jarred when he'd pulled the bottle up and away. Her arm also hurt now. She stretched it out and wiggled her fingers to loosen the strained muscle. "That hurt, Lewis." Feeling only anger and annoyance where she expected to feel some concern, she looked up. "Don't you even care?"

He shook his head, disbelief evident in every line of his face. "Don't _I _care? What I care about is that you've chosen to cavort about the place in your underwear like a juvenile, probably because of the amount of champagne you've been guzzling. Do _you_ not care about the effects of that much alcohol on our offspring?"

Oh, so that was his problem. Lewis and his damned assumptions again. "Did you even look at what was in the bottle? Couldn't you smell it with your so-called acute senses? Look at it! Go look at it all over the wall and the baseboard. That bottle had less than an inch of champagne in the bottom, and then we _filled_ it with orange juice. Sloan took about half of that into that big glass I use for water and I was drinking the rest from the bottle because we didn't have enough glasses!"

Lewis glanced over at the baseboard. There was something sticking to it and to the wall where the bottle had shattered that looked suspiciously like orange pulp. "My own…"

"You tell me to check things out because I get upset unnecessarily, well, what about you? When are you going to stop jumping to conclusions when you haven't considered all of the evidence?"

He sat down on the bed beside her, and looked at her with a sigh. "Probably about the same time they put me in my grave, cherished." Lewis stroked her hair back from her face and gently kissed her temple. "With this latest threat, I am on edge." She rolled her eyes and he smiled. "All right, more on edge than usual."

"I'll say. You need to apologize to my friends."

"I most certainly will not. Unless I'm mistaken," his tone left no doubt that he could not possibly be mistaken, "Bridal Showers should be thrown well in advance of the wedding. Not on the actual day of the ceremony."

"Well, yeah, but it's the maid of honor's job to arrange one, and Anja had no idea what one was, let alone that she was supposed to throw it. And Beth and Amy didn't think it was their place to say anything, they thought maybe you'd said we couldn't have one."

"What about your bridesmaids?"

"Well, gee. One has been in a mating seclusion, and the other has been trying to keep the lab going almost all on her own. I guess it slipped their minds."

"I see. Then that leaves…"

"Tracie. She brought me a small gift, said it wasn't the wedding present, it was just a little something for me and that she was sorry she'd missed the shower. Sloan and Caryn kind of gave each other a horrified look and started apologizing. So, they all ran around and put one together this morning."

"Hmm. I'm glad you had one, then. To be honest, I had not thought about it either. Marjorie had been working among sapiens at the time we were married, and they knew about it. I remember her being quite excited, coming home with presents and telling me about the tradition and how surprised and pleased she'd been."

"Wow, how'd you get around not inviting her coworkers to the wedding?"

"We didn't. Several of them attended. There weren't many of our people there; we'd explained to the sapiens guests that we were both almost alone in the world so far as family was concerned." He paused; staring at his tightly clasped hands. "A somewhat prophetic statement."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh, love. I'm so sorry." She took his hands, pulled them apart and slipped onto his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him gently, first on the lips, and then on the cheek, and then simply held him close as she felt more long denied emotions rush through him. After a few minutes she felt his arms tighten around her fiercely for a moment and then relax. He pulled back and she grabbed a tissue from the box on her nightstand and blotted the telltale moisture from his cheeks. "Thank you, cherished," he said, then glanced at her clock and frowned. "We," he told her, "are going to be late for our own wedding."

Keri giggled and hugged him again. "Well, I think they'll wait for us, just this once." She trailed one hand down the side of his face, smiling when he playfully nipped at her fingers. "Now, now. Enough of that, I have to get dressed."

"Seems like such a waste of time, I'm only going to be undressing you once the deed is done."

"Lewis! We've got the ceremony, then the reception dinner…or late lunch, depending on how you look at it. And don't forget the party tonight!"

He sighed. "Can we skip the party?" he asked hopefully.

"No, we can't. But we can make a brief appearance and then go have a private party of our own…just the two of us…right here…" she gasped as he suddenly stood and set her on her feet.

"I had better get your hair done now, and leave you to dress," said, his voice somewhat harder than she would have expected. "Otherwise, we will be having that private party right here and right now…and there will be no wedding today."

Keri chuckled, led him to the small dressing room that connected the bathroom and bedroom, and sat down in front of the vanity mirror. "Well, we can't have that!"

He grimaced and picked up one of several hairbrushes he pulled from a beauty supply store bag. "No, damn it. I don't suppose we can."


	7. Chapter 7

Keri checked her image in the mirror, again; making minute adjustments to the fragrant strand of tiny pikake blossoms that Lewis had wound through the hair pinned to the top of her head. She looked through the dressing area door and bit her lip as she saw the Juliet's cap that she had originally intended to wear laying on the bed. Sighing, she turned to meet Anja's serious charcoal eyes in the mirror. "I won't have a veil if I wear the flowers," she complained. "I'm supposed to have a veil."

Anja rolled her eyes. "You're the bride; you can do whatever you want." Suddenly those eyes brightened and Keri began to worry just what her sib was about to come up with. "Since you not wearing hat, we should all not wear them, that way it doesn't look funny!"

"Oh, no, you don't get out of it that easily. Besides it looks adorable on you."

"Great. Last thing I want."

Caryn leaned against the doorjamb, shaking her head at the two of them. "She might have a point," she said with a hopeful smile. It faded as soon as Keri raised an eyebrow at her. "Wellll, the only thing worse from mah point of view would have been a picture hat."

"You should be thanking me," Keri told her. "At least I didn't make you wear the lace tunic."

"God, yes. Thank you."

"Now what do I do about a veil?"

From the bedroom Sloan said, "We could take this one off of the cap and pin it in your hair." She held it up and examined it more closely. "I don't think we could hook it so that it would do the over the face thing and then the fold back thing, though." The cap was tossed unceremoniously back on the bed. "Ah, the heck with it. Anja's right. You're the bride and if you want to wear your favorite Hawaiian flowers instead of a veil, that's your privilege. Besides, after all the trouble Lewis went to, having them flown in and then putting them in your hair for you…"

"True. Okay, that's it then, just need my bouquet and…"

"No, you need to sit back down so I can fix your mouth." Alexa detached herself from where she'd been leaning against the room's back wall and reached for a tissue and the lip brush. "Not to mention your teeth. What did I tell you about that lip color?"

"Don't close my lips on anything for ten minutes," Keri repeated the instruction in a sing-song voice. "I thought it had been a lot longer than that."

"No, only five. Now open…yes, there we go," she said, wiping color off of the bride's front teeth. "Not too much came off on your teeth, just enough to be noticeable. Let me get a little color…okay. Now, don't touch your lips to _anything_, including your teeth, until I tell you otherwise, understood?"

"Yes, Alexa," Keri said dutifully. "Thank you, Alexa."

The tall chameleon gave what could be interpreted as a pleased smile. "You are welcome. All I ask in return is that you give me ten minutes to get to my suite and change before you head downstairs."

"You've got it."

She headed out to the main door. "And don't touch anything with your lips until I tell you that you can," she reminded.

Keri sighed as the door to the hall closed. She tapped her fingers on the counter restlessly and then looked up at her attendants. "Has it been ten minutes yet?" Anja threw her hands up in the air and flounced…yes, flounced out into the bedroom and then through the French doors and onto the balcony. "What did I say?"

... ...

Lewis fidgeted as he waited for Tom to come out of the bedroom. "We're late," he announced.

"The bride isn't down there yet, so we are not late," his best man assured him.

"I detest being late."

Ed Tate looked up from the chessboard. "You know, being late is an art form. It's something you need to practice to perfect."

If he practiced that art on…Lewis decided to share his observation. "Tate, if you value your skin, I suggest that you do not practice that art on Alexa. While they are trained in patience, chameleons do not care to be kept waiting unnecessarily. And if you cannot avoid being late, I suggest you not try to be _cute_ about it. Attempts at manipulation are viewed even less favorably than tardiness."

The young doctor stared at him then cleared his throat. "Ahem. I, ah, appreciate the warning, Lewis. But just for the record, _why_ are you warning me? I mean, I understand that you won't interfere with Alexa's choices, but, uh, this is like, helping me out."

Lewis snorted his derision. "Hardly. Your emotions may have Alexa off balance. If so, and you annoy her sufficiently, she may react without thinking. I do not wish to deal with her guilt should she do you irreparable harm."

"Oh. I see. Well, in the interest of saving you the bother of dealing with Alexa's guilt, I'll do my damnedest not to annoy her."

An eyebrow lifted as he noted Tate's attempt to hide a smile. "Good."

"All right, I'm ready," Tom said. "And the women still have not left your suite, so we are still not late."

"How fortunate for you."

... ...

Harry Foster shaded his Ray Bans with one hand and stared up at the unrelenting glare of the sun. Were they still in California or had the enclosed truck taken them over the border into Nevada…or maybe Mexico? He glanced around at the crowd gathered on the lawn. Caucasians predominated, though there were African-Americans, Asians, Latinos, and even Native Americans represented as well. They were still probably in California, he decided, or in Nevada.

"Hmm, quite a crowd for a supposedly secret event," Agent Marcie Newman commented. "Do you think they're all dominants?"

He looked back at the compactly built NSA agent. Her fingers stabbed at the bridge of her nose as though she was pushing up invisible spectacles. She evidently hadn't gotten used to not needing them after her Lasik surgery. "Other than the sapiens we know? Probably, they look a bit too uniformly fit and healthy for it to be otherwise."

Newman's freckled nose wrinkled. "Hadn't thought about that, but you're right. Damn, they look good."

Harry shook his head in reluctant admiration. They did look good. The women were, at the very least, attractive in a healthy girl next door sort of way and the men looked like the clean cut frat brothers he'd always resented at Stanford. "I'm still wondering why Lewis asked us…hell, insisted that we come."

His counterpart shrugged. "He likes us?" She chuckled at his dismay. "I'm kidding. I think we both know that however charming Lewis Ryan chooses to be that he does nothing without a reason."

"But what's his reason this time? That's the million dollar question."

"Keridwen Elizabeth Ashton, no doubt…though I hear she's worth more like a quite a few hundred million now that the Senator's dead."

He frowned, confused. "What does she have to do with it? All of our Intel showed that he's worth easily that much…legally, no less."

Newman sighed and put on what he'd dubbed 'her patient expression'. "He probably wants neutral witnesses to the fact that he did actually marry her. You know, even aside from the money, this marriage would have made him a U.S. citizen, after the paperwork was handled. He doesn't know that it's already been taken care of."

"I don't think any of them gives a shit about paperwork. Hell, they can probably produce it at will."

Nearly choking on laughter, Marcie wrapped her hands around her stomach. "Don't you think you're getting a little paranoid, even for the CIA?" she asked. "Oh God, don't make me laugh like that. It hurts!"

"I didn't think I was being funny," he began, breaking off abruptly as the earsplitting and unmistakable roar of Harley engines filled the air. He turned and stared at the driveway where an assortment of bikers wound their way through the property. One of the dominants, a twenty-something-young man with longish dark hair and an incongruously innocent face trotted over to the asphalt and spoke with one of them and pointed to an empty area behind the garage. "Son of a bitch," Harry muttered as he recognized the big hirsute biker in the faded fatigue pants and a camouflage t-shirt half-hidden by a scuffed leather vest decorated with a hand painted Special Forces emblem. "Dominant bikers?"

"What? Foster, you've been out in the sun too long." Newman told him. "I don't think dominants could look that motley if they tried."

He snorted. "Well, that's easier to believe than a group of real bikers working for the dominants. They're the ones, the men anyway, that kept us from following Lewis' people when they liberated Tom Daniels."

"Oh? Well, good for them. I'll have to thank them." She stared at his appalled expression. "Oh, come on, Foster. Don't tell me you really wanted those so-called experiments to go forward?"

"No," he sighed. "I guess not."

"Hey, the preacher's outside waiting," Anja called out. "Looks like he came with Attwood, Peterson and those Feebs, uh, Feds from LA. Huh, not bad looking, either...the preacher, I mean, not the Fed."

Caryn smiled as she watched Keri continue to fidget in front of the dressing room mirror. Anja was out on the balcony; leaning on the rail, watching the chaos below and giving them a play by play description of the action. And Sloan…oh. Sloan was sitting on the bed, finally, looking at the bouquets with a dreamy expression. "Earth to Sloan," she teased. "Time to go, we're running late so let's get Keri into her overdress and get moving."

"Huh? Oh. Right." Sloan turned and looked into the dressing room. "Uh, Caryn? She's already in her overdress."

"I know. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention." She turned toward the windows. "Anja, it's time."

The young dominant woman pushed back from the rail and tried to stride into the bedroom. The long skirt came close to tripping her up before she adjusted. "Damn stupid dress," she muttered, watching the hem now as she walked. "Why am I doing this?"

"Because you love your sib."

"Oh. Right. The stupid things I do for her."

"Sure, hon, you know you love it."

Anja's head lifted sharply. "You better be kidding."

Caryn relented. "Yes, I am." She grinned irrepressibly and reached for her flowers. "Don't forget to make sure Keri has her bouquet before you pick up yours."

A heartfelt sigh emerged from the maid of honor, and Caryn bit her lip to hold back a giggle. "Okay, okay. Why I got to have flowers again?"

"Hell, Anja, I don't know. It's tradition, and where I come from you don't mess with tradition."

"Humph. Or question it apparently."

"You've got it."

"I think it's nice." They both turned to stare at Sloan. "Well, the whole thing, not just the flowers. It's all so romantic. You know Lewis didn't have to do any of this, Keri wouldn't have asked for it."

"Lewis needs his head ex…" Anja shut her mouth abruptly, blinked, and began again. "Ja, you're right," she said, her voice just a bit strained. Lewis did romantic thing for my sib."

Sloan looked almost as surprised as Caryn felt as they watched Anja carefully lift the bouquet of Crimson Glory roses and baby's breath that was secured by ribbons of sapphire blue and metallic gold silk twisted with strands of pikake. Caryn mentally shook herself, wondering what Alexa and Keri had said, or more to the point, what Alexa had done to Anja when they had her alone in the bedroom. "Ohhhhhkay," she said and cradled her white roses with the periwinkle blue tinted baby's breath in the crook of her arm. "Let's get this show on the road."

... ...

Walter Attwood squinted through his wire-rimmed glasses as he watched the balcony. The maid of honor had just retreated into the suite; hopefully that meant that the bridal party was on their way down. The groom, his best man, and groomsmen Jeff and Ed had emerged some ten or fifteen minutes ago. The latter two had moved to organize the 'guests' who were wandering up from all over the property. Other than the soldiers on guard duty, it didn't look like anyone was going to miss the spectacle of Lewis getting married…in a sapiens' ceremony, no less. The kitchen door snapped open and Alexa emerged. "Well, not the bridal party, but I don't think there's anyone else left in the house," he murmured to Ray and Reverend Hanson.

"Ah, well then, I should probably take my position," the suspiciously fit minister returned. "Gentlemen," he said, nodding, and headed for the portable pulpit set under a pair of old growth trees.

"I'm telling you, Walter. That man ain't out of the game," Ray insisted.

"I don't doubt that at all." Walter shrugged. "It hardly matters. I know for a fact that he's an ordained minister, and even the dominants in the coexistence faction are paranoid about security. He didn't have the opportunity to make this location."

"I know. Still just sits wrong. Kind of lays on my gut, if you know what I mean."

Walter felt his eyebrows shoot up. Ray's 'gut' was rarely wrong. "Yes, I'm afraid that I do. Perhaps we should have a word with Karl Hunter?"

"Who?"

"Stephen's replacement as the facility's head of security."

"Oh, him. When did you get introduced?"

Smiling, he gave Ray what he hoped was a reassuring look. "In Alaska. He negotiated surrender terms for Copeland's men."

"Oh? And now he's with...oh, never mind. I saw him mooning over that Chinese girl." The ex cop looked up at him with an odd expression. "She is one of us, right?"

"Yes, she's sapiens. Karl met her at Fort Lewis, and yes, he does have a relationship with her."

"Good." Ray shifted then looked past him. "Oh, thank God. Here comes the bride."

... ...

The Right Reverend Bradley James Hanson the Second let his gaze drift over the crowd of people…very unusual people. From the briefing he'd received from Archangel, the majority of the residents of this compound were homo dominant. It was very interesting. The tumult of random feelings he normally picked up from a crowd was missing. Certainly there were emotions readable here and there, but it was terribly controlled for this large a gathering. "Hmm. Terribly controlled," he muttered half under his breath. "Yeah, that's the best way to describe it." He looked toward the house when the crowd seemed to turn in that direction almost in unison. Four women emerged. All dressed in shades of blue, they hesitated as they reached ground level, had a brief discussion, then formed up in a line.

"Oh, thank God," he heard Ray Peterson say. "Here comes the bride."

The traditional music began to play and the women stepped out, walking down the paved path to the open grassy area. Two redheads wearing light blue silky looking dresses with spaghetti straps led the way. Small oval caps that matched their dresses rested on the crown of their heads, and when one looked to the side he could see ribbons that dangled from the back. They each carried a small bouquet of white roses. More ribbons trailed down from the flowers.

Next in line was a vision in royal blue. Silver shot deep royal blue lace enveloped her from shoulder to knees, and a small matching cap with a short veil adorned dark loose curls. She carried a bouquet of white roses interspersed with what might be bluebells, but he was unable to positively identify the small flowers at this distance. Ribbons that matched the visible portion of her underskirt trailed from beneath the flowers. The young woman's expression was even more interesting. It appeared as though she was struggling mightily not to roll her eyes.

The bride, of course, brought up the rear. He'd actually met Keri Ashton once, years before he'd been ordained, when Archangel had insisted he join him at one of Senator Ashton's soirees in Georgetown. She looked a good bit slimmer now, though she still was generously curved, and her dark red hair was tamed into some sort of bun wound through with white flowers. She also looked far more relaxed than she'd been in Georgetown.

For some reason, the bride had not chosen to wear white. She was dressed in a very dark blue dress, shot with gold, that otherwise matched the one worn by her maid of honor. The bishop sleeves of the blue and gold lace overdress accented her still slender wrists, and the closeness of the high lace collar that set off the upswept hairstyle confirmed his assumption that she had lost weight. She certainly looked healthy, another detail that he would report during his debriefing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Brad spotted one of the dominants with a video camera of some sort. Unless he was sadly mistaken it was one of the newest digital models that could interface with a computer. No…it looked even more advanced than the prototype Archangel had been playing with last week. He bit back a sigh…that was one thing that Walter Attwood had honestly reported. The dominants had the coolest toys. If he could get a copy of that video file…it would make his report so much simpler. But there was no way he'd be able to get at it; his skills weren't good enough to get past the dominant's 'radar'. Hell, Archangel himself would be hard pressed to manage it. He would just have to 'innocently' request a copy. While her soon to be husband would no doubt veto any such request, Keri might be approachable on the subject.

Leaving the path, the lady in question advanced through the grassy aisle behind her bridesmaids, but unlike them, her eyes were modestly downcast and a slight frown curved her lips. That was a sign of trouble, he thought. Why was she looking so humble, or was it submissive? Keridwen Elizabeth Ashton, from what he had been told, could never be accused of being either. What in heaven's name had these people done to her? He focused on the groom, one Lewis Ryan, and found only the smoothness of carefully wrought shields. One way or another, he had to figure out what kind of duress Miss Ashton was under and report it. He bit back a sigh. If she were that repressed, there was no way he could ask her for the video, she'd go directly to Lewis.

Speaking of the devil, the silver-haired groom stepped forward as the bride approached the pulpit, watching with a frown as she stopped moving. Her brow furrowed as she hesitated. One delicate hand left the bouquet and reached down to slightly lift the long underskirt. Brad found himself frowning now, thoroughly confused. Then one foot, clad in a high-heeled pump that matched the dress, took a careful step forward, wobbled slightly, and then found firm footing. He could almost hear her sigh of relief as she dropped the skirt and continued processing. She finally reached her fiancé's side and looked up at him with a sunny smile.

Brad's eyebrows rose as the pieces finally fell into place. She hadn't had her eyes modestly or submissively downcast…she'd been searching the ground for obstacles. This revelation was confirmed when he heard the groom whispering to her.

... ...

"You made it," Lewis murmured, his lips twitching with humor.

"Safe and sound," Keri whispered back with a smile. "It was really close there for a second, though. Damned heels."

The minister cleared his throat and she looked up at him guiltily. "Are we ready?" he asked.

She looked back at Lewis who nodded firmly and held out his hand for hers as Reverend Hanson told them to join hands. Sighing with contentment she turned her gaze back to the minister and waited expectantly. Lewis gently squeezed her fingers and a quick sidelong glance told her that he was ridiculously pleased about something. Later she'd have to find out about what. Her attendants had peeled off to the left as they approached the pulpit and were now standing in an angled line that matched that of the groomsmen to her right. A half-smothered noise emerged from the trio. From the looks the other two gave her, her sib was the culprit. Her eyes flicked quickly at Lewis, and she discovered that however amused she might be at Anja's faux pas, her groom was not.

... ...

The minister instructed them to join hands and Lewis smiled down at his mate as he enfolded her delicate fingers in his grasp. Keridwen looked up at him through her lashes, her eyes shone and a slight blush colored her cheeks. She appeared almost as pleased as he felt. And he was _quite _pleased. For all that he had begun this for her sake, he'd come to realize that it suited him well. Now the laws of the land would bind her to him as firmly as did the traditions and the actual physiological bonds recognized by his people. No one could dispute his right to keep her by his side.

He tensed as Reverend Hanson asked for any objections to the marriage. Intellectually, he knew that no one here would dare object, but it still put him on edge and he would no doubt remain so until the ceremony resumed.

A noise from the bridesmaids caught his attention. Anja had made some sort of comment and had been shushed…one of these days, Lewis thought, I am going to turn that child over my knee and…he kept his expression clear of the frown that wanted to emerge. No, she'd probably enjoy that. Glancing to his left he saw that his mate once again had found Anja's antics amusing. Ah well, if Keridwen was not offended, then it was not yet an issue. The minister was speaking again. The usual blather of the ceremony was easily tuned out, at least on a subconscious level. This allowed him to relax and concentrate on more important things…such as how to avoid the tedium of the dinner celebration and evening party so that he could take his mate back to their suite and…

Reverend Hanson cleared his throat, and a flash of concern from his mate rippled through him. Obviously, he'd missed his cue. He looked at the minister with one brow raised in question, and gave Keridwen's hands a reassuring squeeze. The other man began to repeat the groom's portion of the vows they had chosen. No wonder they'd been concerned. He suppressed a smile and dutifully echoed the traditional words. He felt rather than heard his bride's sigh of relief as he spoke. "To love, honor, and cherish, so long as we both shall live."

Now it was her turn. The words flowed easily, but her voice was tremulous. Lewis wasn't certain if it was from nerves or emotion; so much of each was evident within her. His left eyebrow rose again as she reached the final phrase of her vows. He failed to totally suppress his chuckle as she finished with, "To love, honor, and obey, so long as we both shall live." Fortunately for him, considering her outraged expression, most of the bridal party and a few members of the audience were smiling, coughing slightly, or covering their mouths to muffle their own laughter at the thought of his rather overly independent mate practicing obedience.

... ...

Keri frowned when Lewis did not respond to the reverend's instruction to repeat after him. He looked startled when the other man cleared his throat, then he actually blushed slightly before he smiled at her and squeezed her hand. She wondered what had distracted him so thoroughly. He was back in control now and making up for it. The blue of his irises was at its most intense as he looked into her eyes and his deep voice was so firm and assured that it gave her goosebumps. She shivered as he promised to love, honor, and cherish her so long as they both lived. It was literal in their case. There would not be a widowed partner left behind some day to continue to love the one who had died.

It was interesting that, she thought as she began repeating her portion of the vows, the sapiens marriage ceremony put into words the same promises enforced by the dominants' mating bond. Their people were more alike in personal goals and values than either side would care to admit. She'd have to share that with Mark. Maybe focusing on the similarities between them would help coexistence more than trying to resolve their differences.

The ceremony was almost over. She took a deep breath before repeating her final promise, "To love, honor, and obey, so long as we both shall live." Her eyes opened wide in shock as a strangled sound escaped Lewis' tightly clamped lips. He was laughing! Of all the nerve! Muffled sounds from both sides of the pulpit caught her attention. She glanced around and was treated to the sight of most of her friends fighting the urge to laugh, and the remainder giving in to it. Dropping her eyes, she blinked back tears. It was not at all funny. She and Lewis had chosen the old wording purposely because it followed the traditions of his people. And she did try to obey; she knew he only gave her outright orders when he was concerned about her safety.

... ...

Anja tried but failed to smother her laughter, and raised her bouquet to hide the attempt. Finally, a use for the damn flowers. Her sib was promising to obey her mate…for the rest of her life, no less! It was just too funny. Keri might listen to Lewis, but she always made her own decisions, even if he didn't approve. She jumped slightly as the…Sloan whispered urgently in her ear.

"Stop that! What's wrong with you, you've got her crying now."

Biting back a retort, Anja tried to get a look at Keri's face. Her sib felt miserable, but that didn't mean…uh oh. Lewis was giving her a nasty look. She bit her lip and quelled her amusement so that Keri would no longer pick it up, then sighed and looked up at…Sloan. It galled her that the sapiens had noticed her sib's distress and she had not. but, since she had… "Sorry. Thanks for telling me." Anja had to bite back her grin as Sloan blinked in shock at her response.

"Uh, you're welcome. I'm…sure you didn't mean it," Sloan told her, her voice uncertain.

Nodding, Anja turned her attention back to the ceremony. Keri really was upset. She gnawed on her lower lip as she tried to think of some way to help but found none.

... ...

Okay, Brad thought, this had never happened to him before. Archangel had briefed him fairly thoroughly on Keri Ashton, and that briefing had included a discussion of her rebellious nature, but surely, it wasn't bad enough to warrant such amusement over the vow to obey from her friends, let alone her groom?

Lewis, he noted, had finally succeeded in choking back his amusement and was now very obviously concerned. Brad could feel that concern bordering on alarm as tears welled up in Keri's large gray eyes. The groom gave him a sharp look. "I suggest you get on with it and tell me to kiss the bride…now," he hissed, "before she loses it."

Brad nodded and straightened. "With the authority vested in me by God and by the State of California, I now pronounce you man and wife." He frowned slightly. They had insisted on the old format rather than the more commonly used 'husband and wife'. "You may kiss the bride," he told Lewis.

The dominant turned his full attention to his new wife, and cupping her cheeks in his hands, whispered to her and then kissed her. It began gently then deepened as she started to relax.

While he completed the declaration of marriage, Brad admired how Lewis used the caress to discretely wipe away Keri's tears. "What God has joined together, let no man put asunder," he finished. As the bride quieted and returned her new husband's kiss, his hands slipped down to her neck then moved to her waist. Finally, they broke apart and Lewis gave him an expectant look. Brad nodded and motioned them to turn around and face their guests. "For the first time I give you Mr. and Mrs. Ryan, Lewis and Keridwen." The humans…sapiens in the crowd began to applaud, as did two or three of the dominants. After a moment or so of confusion, the remaining dominants joined them. Evidently, no one had informed them of what to expect. Lewis seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Before the applause had died down, he had tucked his wife's hand in his arm and started down the aisle. Brad sighed in relief.

**ELSEWHERE**

Randall sighed as the SUV ate up the miles along Highway 99. He'd finally decided that Sarah was correct in her belief that his Zanzibar Red Porsche 911 would stand out too much in the Central Valley...after she'd suggested she could drive it so that he could get some rest. Not that the Porsche Cayenne SUV was much of a step down, luxury-wise. They both had the Turbo Tiptronic package, and the highest consumer ratings of almost any vehicle or vehicle type. And he couldn't have stretched out in the back for a nap in the coupe, even if he had been willing to let her drive it.

She glanced up in the mirror and met his eyes. As usual, hers looked as though she was keeping some particularly wicked secret. It was one of the things he liked best about her; that and her ability to deal with his moods. Sarah seemed to be the only one who really understood him. "We're almost there," she informed him. "So you want to stop and eat before we go to…"

"No. Let's just get it over with. Have you been able to reach Richard yet?" he asked as he sat up and reached over the seats for her cell phone. She smacked his hand when he 'accidentally' brushed her right breast as he stretched toward the dashboard holder, and then grabbed the phone and handed it back to him.

"What are you trying to do? Distract me and get us into an accident? We'll have time for more of that when we finish with business."

He smirked, and played with the tight dark curls that covered her head like a cap. "We could always take another rest stop…there's got to be a park of some kind nearby…or a field."

Sarah's sigh was laced with annoyance. "No thank you. The last one smelled like crap."

"Actually, it smelled like urine, but…"

"You know what I mean."

"Okay, okay. Hmm, lots of motels…"

"Randall…"

He snickered and reached around the headrest to stroke her cheek. "All right, I'll behave. Let's just get to…what the hell's the butt-fuck town's name?"

"Clovis. And it's a perfectly respectable small town…"

"Yeah, full of good ole' boys who wait all year for the big row-day-oh."

She groaned. "Just do both of us a favor, huh? Keep the snide comments to yourself, or you're never going to find Daniels without him knowing you're coming. You'll cause such a commotion everyone in the valley will know you're there."

"No one can take a joke, huh? Typical. Why can't anyone laugh anymore?"

"Lots of people, even sapiens, still laugh; they just don't generally share your sense of humor."

He snorted and dropped back against the seat.

... ...

Sarah watched his eyes close and then moved into the right lane, their exit was coming up. After following the signs, she turned onto east bound Herndon Avenue. Several lights later, she grabbed her wayfarers with the Oakland A's logo to block out the glare of the midmorning sun. A few more lights had her grumbling under her breath. The sign back at the exit had said Clovis was six miles away, but with the traffic, it was beginning to feel like sixty. She glanced to her left down a road marked as Maroa. There was a hell of a lot of traffic waiting to turn left onto it…and the bulk of the passengers were very well dressed. A few of the vehicles had packages wrapped in various white, silver, and gold patterned gift wrap. "Hmm, must be a wedding down there. It must be a pretty big one, judging by the number of cars."

She bit the inside of her cheek to hold in her laughter as Randall gave a pained sigh. "You see, that's what's wrong with the sapiens. Everything has to have a ceremony with a crowd in attendance. It's a wonder they ever get anything serious accomplished."

The snort slipped out. "Like you're always serious," she muttered, glancing at him in the mirror.

He shrugged. "I am when I need to get something accomplished. That's all that's necessary. I do not, however, need a crowd of witnesses."


	8. Chapter 8

Lewis led Keridwen down the aisle, assuming a concerned look as he plotted to avoid the rest of the day's festivities. "You feel tired, my own," he said softly. "Perhaps I should take you upstairs to rest."

She glanced up at him, her Cupid's bow mouth turned down at the corners. "No, love, I feel just fine." Her eyes narrowed. "And you damn well know that." They reached the end of the aisle and moved to the spot they had chosen for their receiving line. "You just want to get out of the dinner and the party," she accused.

He chuckled, raised her left hand up to his lips, and kissed the back of it just below the sapphire and diamond wedding band. "You know me too well, cherished," he admitted. "You can't blame me for trying, hmm?"

A deep sigh was her audible response, and he strongly suspected that if he could see her face he'd see her rolling her eyes. She tugged her hand back down to her side. "Behave yourself for a while…if you think you can manage it."

"Ah, Keridwen, you wound me."

She turned her face up to give him a skeptical look, then smiled ruefully as he chuckled. "As if." His mate…his wife then poked him in the side with her lace-covered elbow. "Here they come, now, be nice."

He purposely waited until she looked up at him again before raising an eyebrow. It had the expected effect, and as the first of their guests reached them, she bit her lower lip to hold back one of her trademark giggles.

Tracie stepped up, tugging Karl behind her. "I figured we'd better go first," she told them with a grin. "It doesn't look like too many of your people know how this works. And I imagine they wouldn't follow a sapiens' example." She reached out with both hands to cover Keridwen's. "Congratulations, honey. You look absolutely stunning and so much in love it's almost disgusting. I'm really happy for you." Lewis found himself shaking his head at the Asian woman's comments. He stilled as she craned her head back to look at him. "Oh, and you look gorgeous too. Second finest looking man here."

"Only second?" he responded as he enjoyed the interesting sight of Karl's mahogany-toned cheeks taking on a reddish cast.

The tiny female looked over her shoulder at Karl then continued in Cantonese when she turned back. "I must first give honor to the one who holds my heart," she said. "He must know that he is first in my thoughts."

Lewis laughed out loud. "I'm sure that he is," he told her in English. "However, I did enjoy the flattery." He grinned as Tracie winked at him, gave his m…wife a hug, and then moved on. Karl gave him a confused look.

"Somehow I don't think I want to know what she said," he mused.

"She assured me that she was biased because of your relationship. Your librarian is quite a woman."

"T isn't a lib…" Karl broke off. "Ah, you're kidding with me. Yes, thank you, I think she is a very worthy female." Lewis nodded in agreement as the soldier moved on to the bride. "Congratulations Keri…ah, perhaps I should say Mrs. Ryan, wouldn't that be what the sapiens will call you?" Karl asked her.

"Well, they'll call me that to tease me about being a married woman. But otherwise my friends will still call me Keri." She stepped forward and gave Karl a light hug…fortunately for the Security First's continued well being one that involved only the upper body. "And I do consider you and Tracie my friends."

Lewis clenched his jaw and looked at the still forming line of well wishers. He was already unhappy with this process and it had barely begun.

... ...

Keri's cheeks were beginning to hurt with so much smiling. As she'd expected, her friends had teased the hell out of her. Well, almost all of her sapiens friends and Jeff had, at any rate. Anja had given her a hug and had gruffly told her that she was happy for her. Sloan had gotten weepy. Maybe she should ask Lewis…her husband! Her thoughts evaporated as she all but danced in place with joy. Her husband looked down at her with an indulgent smile.

"Got your second wind, my own?"

"Something like that." She looked up at the next group of dominants moving up the receiving line, accepted their hesitant congratulations, and smiled. "You know, I'll bet that Sloan would love it if Tom…"

"Yes, I'm certain she would." Lewis nodded to acknowledge another dominant who was praising his taste in choosing to mate with such a gifted female as Keridwen and then turned back to her. "If he hasn't picked up on his bond mate's longing for this, any hints I might drop would be overlooked. I'm assuming, of course, that you don't want me to spell it out for him."

"No. You're right. Maybe he's noticed today. I mean, if we managed it with all this going on, it had to be obvious to him, right?"

"Absolutely, cherished." Lewis shook his head at the thought of how Tom would react if he suggested that his cousin propose to his bond mate. It would be one hell of a role reversal. He frowned thoughtfully then decided he'd have to consider doing so for just that reason.

The line of guests was still too long. He hadn't realized that there were so many faction members in residence. In fact, he thought with another frown, he was certain there were not. Karl would likely be able to explain the discrepancy, as his men had to approve every person entering or leaving the property.

A yawn started to build and he ruthlessly suppressed it. They'd been doing this for a half-hour already; it had taken almost that long to get through those guests whom Keridwen considered her personal friends. That included the bikers…Bear had clapped him hard enough on the back to stagger him, then had lifted Keridwen off of her feet into a…uh…bear hug for want of a better term. Fortunately the rest of the sapiens had been more circumspect. The wishes had been sincere if a bit on the annoying side. He'd forgotten that weddings tended to make sapiens feel they had to either tease the newlyweds mercilessly, or be cloying with their congratulations. He'd had a difficult time dealing with it when he'd been younger and then it had still been an adventure. Now he had to rely on the patience he'd developed over the intervening years…and it was wearing thin. Fortunately, the remaining guests were all dominant…or members of the sapiens intelligence community. He was fairly certain he could depend on Agents Foster and Newman to keep their words short and to the point. Speaking of the devils…

"Lewis, congratulations," Foster told him. "Are all dominants this lucky, or is it just you?" The CIA agent had started to extend his arm for a handshake then hesitated and stood awkwardly. Lewis decided to be polite and held out his own hand.

"It's not luck, it's skill, and thank you," he said as he grasped the sapiens' hand and then released if after an appropriate interval. "I appreciated the expedited flower delivery. My wife was delighted."

"My pleasure." The man took a step forward and looked down at Keridwen. "Mrs. Ryan," he began quietly. "You were a lovely and elegant bride. Your grandfather would have been very proud."

Lewis bit back a groan as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Thank you," she whispered. "That means a lot to me." The agent held the hand she had offered him and patted it gently, almost paternally. Interesting.

"Cherished," he said once her hand had been released. "This is Agent Newman." He smiled as Keridwen's cheeks flushed brightly. "If you recall," he began, knowing quite well that she did, "it was Agent Newman who recommended the truffles that you so enjoyed." Her eyes fluttered closed and her teeth worried her lower lip for a moment before she was able to regain her composure.

"Thank you, Agent Newman," she finally managed. "They were absolutely delicious."

The practically dressed woman's face lit up as she smiled. "Call me Marcie. I'm so glad you enjoyed them. They're definitely my favorites."

Keridwen giggled then covered her mouth with a hand. "Well, Marcie, I think they're pretty much our favorite now, too." She glanced up at him with a wicked look in her eyes. "Don't you agree, love?"

She winked and he had to clear his throat to avoid choking. "Ah, yes. They were excellent…chocolates."

Agent Newman looked each of them in the eye then nodded solemnly. She'd evidently noticed the undercurrent. "I'm, um, hmm." She looked at both of them again, shook her head and then wandered away with a bemused smile.

Lewis let an eyebrow lift in amusement. He hadn't even had to bait that one to enjoy the entertainment. Glancing to his left he noted the approach of one of Mark's senior staff members, a male who had just returned from a month long planning session with the faction's representatives elsewhere in the country. Mark hadn't seen fit to tell him where, and with good reason. "Congratulations, Lewis," Gerard said. "This is quite a step you've made. It's good to know that you and Tom are in agreement."

"Thank you," he told the man, his brow furrowing in confusion. What was he talking about?

"Mrs. Ryan," he was now saying to Keridwen. "Everyone is hopeful that we've finally made a positive step towards avoiding war. Even the council cannot dismiss the importance of your bond with a Chosen…considering your family…ah, I mean…"

"It's okay, Gerard, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I understand how everyone feels about my family; god knows I'm not real thrilled with them either."

"You've risen above them. Thank you. We'd hoped to have one of the Chosen with us…but to have both is more than we ever dreamed."

Lewis stared, his annoyance growing. The fool thought that his marriage to Keridwen and his tolerance of their presence here meant that he supported coexistence! His hands clenched into fists as he fought down his rage. He would _not _show the fool the error of his ways, at least not here, and not today. If her wedding were spoiled by violence, his mate would likely not forgive him before her pregnancy became too advanced for him to enjoy the sexual effects of their bond again before she gave birth. He ground his teeth in all but silent frustration until Gerard finally moved on. "Mark has evidently failed to brief his returning staff," he hissed as Keridwen looked up at him with concern.

"Oh, love. Relax. It's not a big deal."

"I am not supporting coexistence, cherished, and they all need to understand that."

"I'm sure Mark will handle it." She chuckled softly as her hands unknotted the fists he'd made of his. "Thank you for not, um, correcting him yourself."

He smiled and let his hands relax. "Only for you, my own." Lewis looked to his left and sighed with relief. It was almost over, only about a dozen remained in line, hopefully none of them as misguided as Gerard.

... ...

God, her feet hurt. In retrospect, the heels had definitely been a _bad_ idea. Fortunately, now she could sit and take her shoes off while everyone enjoyed the buffet that was set out. Lewis had arranged for the plantation style chairs to be brought from their balcony for them to sit in. Keri gratefully leaned against the high back and prayed that she wouldn't wilt in the heat before it was time to retire.

She glanced at the almost full glass of vintage champagne and sighed. Under her husband's watchful eye, she'd barely touched her lips to the bubbly during the toasting. Tom, as the best man, had started it off. From the slightly stilted way he'd spoken, it was apparent that someone had coached him. Jeff had come up with his own toast…there was no way that anyone would have dared suggest he say anything about their sex life. Jeez, if looks could kill…it had taken Lewis a good ten minutes to unclench his jaw. Jeff had evidently been counting on the fact that there were too many sapiens witnesses for Lewis to kill him on the spot, and knew Lewis well enough to realize that he'd get over it before the opportunity to strike discretely presented itself.

Keri jumped as a plate appeared from over her shoulder and was set in front of her. She'd been distracted enough that she hadn't felt Lewis walk up. "Are you all right, my own?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She gave him a woeful look as he set his own plate down and sat beside her. "I really don't think I can eat any more."

His eyebrows rose as he pointedly glanced at the plate of all but untouched appetizers. "Keridwen, starting out married life by lying to your husband is hardly auspicious."

"I'm not lying," she said indignantly. "I didn't say I wasn't hungry, I said I couldn't eat any more. I'm still too nervous." She gave him a sidelong glance and smirked at his confused frown. "That's what you get for paying attention to the physical instead of the emotional. You heard my tummy rumbling and assumed I was fibbing instead of reading me to look for a lie."

"Don't be smug. It doesn't suit you," he said, spearing a piece of broccoli and holding the forkful up to her lips.

She chuckled and pushed his hand away. "Yes it does. You just don't like it because I'm right." He sighed and she tucked one arm through his and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Don't pout, that's _my _department. Besides, you know I love you."

"I see. You love me, so you get away with being smug?"

"Yep."

"Hmm." He gave her a long considering look while blocking her from reading him. Finally he relented. "I suppose, just this once mind you, that you're right."

Keri giggled and slipped under the arm he raised for a hug and quick kiss. "Mmmm. Now that's what I call auspicious."

An eyebrow rose, again, as Lewis looked down at her. "What are you nervous about? The difficult part is done. All you need do now is enjoy."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "We still have to do our first dance. I have to get through that, in heels, without looking like a klutz." A sigh escaped despite her best effort to suppress it. "And my feet hurt."

"Hmm. You shouldn't worry about the dance. If you do stumble, I won't let you fall and you've enough grace to make whatever movement there is look intentional." He pushed his chair back and angled hers towards him. "As for your feet," he said, reaching down and lifting her right foot and balancing it across his knee. "That is easily remedied…_if _you try to eat."

She stuck her tongue out at him and, ignoring the broccoli took a forkful of the tender beef and dipped it in the sauce béarnaise. He nodded approvingly and began kneading her sore feet with strong fingers. Keri chewed while she wriggled her toes happily and then swallowed. "Have I told you…hmm, of course I've told you I love you. I just married you." After taking another bite of the beef, her eyes drifted closed and she enjoyed the impromptu massage. A thought occurred, and she giggled and opened them to give her husband a mischievous look.

"Keridwen…"

"This is kind of a tradition, you know."

"What?"

"The first night we were in a bed together…you know, before we bonded, you massaged my sore feet."

"Hmm, so I did." He worked on the arch of her foot silently for a minute, when he looked up it was his eyes that held the mischief. "Shall that be your anniversary present each year, cherished? A foot and leg massage?"

"Humph. You don't get off that easy, buster." Keri snickered and decided that, like pouting, mischief suited her better than it did Lewis. "But if you throw in a box of those truffles…and all they imply, you've got yourself a deal."

... ...

Lewis laughed with more enjoyment than he could remember since before the betrayal. Yes, he thought, he would enjoy such an anniversary as well. "Keridwen, you are irrepressible, and yes, I do know what to do with you." He shook his head, chuckling softly. "Though it is a damned shame I'll have to wait another few hours to do it."

"Lewis!" Keridwen tried to look shocked, and failed miserably. Finally she let the put on expression go and reached out for him. He slipped her shoe back onto her left foot, set it down on the ground and took her into his arms.

"We could skip the rest…" he whispered hopefully as he nuzzled her neck.

"No. As much as I really want to, we can't. We'd…well; _I'd_ never hear the end of it. Nope, we're going to stick it out…at least until the party really gets underway."

"Damn." He frowned as Newman and Foster approached their table carrying flat decorated packages. He set Keridwen back down in her chair and his eyebrows rose as they set one of the packages down in front of him, and the other in front of his wife.

"I know it's traditional to leave wedding gifts on the gift table, but we felt this was something we should make sure got into your hands and your hands only," Agent Newman said diffidently.

Lewis looked at Keridwen to see how she'd handle the breach of etiquette. She was staring up at them with a bemused expression. "Cherished?" he prompted.

"You're both very nervous about this," she said softly. "Any reason why?"

Foster's mouth twisted into an expression that could only be described as wry. "Several. Not the least of which is that we're not altogether sure that one," he continued, nodding at the smaller package sitting in front of him, "is welcome."

Now he was more than curious. "Well, then. Shall we see?" He frowned at the tightly wrapped package and was about to pick up a butter knife when his wife reached across him and slipped a long nail under the taped flap and eased it open for him. "Thank you, cherished." The remainder of the wrapping came off easily, and he opened the decorative folder contained within. His eyebrows shot back up again.

"Well, what is it?"

He glanced over at her, a reluctant grin tugging at his lips. "Impatient, my own?"

"Of course. Aren't I always?"

"Hmm, yes." He read the document and looked up at Foster and Newman in annoyed surprise. "Where did you get the information for this?"

"We asked Tom." Foster hastened to elaborate when Lewis frowned. "He ignored us at first, but when we explained why we wanted it, he decided it would be a good thing for you to have."

Lewis nodded. "I agree, though he should have consulted me before giving anyone such detail."

"I imagine you could have produced a reasonable facsimile if someone asked," Newman interjected. "But this one is totally legitimate. Copies filed in all of the appropriate places, no one can dispute it."

"I appreciate that. You put a great deal of thought into this."

"Into what? Lewis, let me see," Keridwen groused, trying to look over his arm. He cooperatively lifted it and allowed her to move between him and the table. She stared at the document for a few minutes, her confusion evident. "You didn't have a birth certificate?"

"No. Many of us do not, particularly of my generation. We didn't have many physicians at all, let alone any in public practice, so our births tended to be necessarily unattended. At least officially."

"Oh, and so the parents wouldn't be able to produce documents either, huh?"

"Exactly." He looked up at the two Federal agents again. "Thank you. This will make things easier for our offspring as well."

Keri slipped an arm around Lewis' waist and hugged him. He was grateful. And not just for the sake of their future offspring. She looked longingly at her own package. "My turn?" she asked.

"Sure," Marcie said. "Go for it."

"Hmm, it's way too flat to be truffles…darn." She grinned at Lewis' soft snort. "Though, I guess that would have been for both of us, not just me." Her laugh spilled out when Marcie's face flushed a bright red. "Sorry, that was too much information, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, you could say that."

"I don't get it," Foster complained.

Lewis interrupted before she could respond. "You don't want to. If you did, I'd have to hurt you." Keri fell back against Lewis' chest, giggling helplessly at Foster's astonished expression.

"Give him a break, love."

"I will. An arm or perhaps a leg…"

"He's kidding, Foster, honest. It's his way of amusing himself."

"I…see."

Chuckling, Keri reached for the other present and carefully opened the expensive paper. It wasn't as flat as the other package had been, but it _was_ too flat for truffles, damn it. She gasped as a document frame was revealed that contained a copy of her diploma from Columbia…in her own name. She'd never received the original. In her disappointment over her grandfather's absence from her graduation, she'd forgotten to pick it up. When she'd called, they'd told her it had been mailed to her address of record, her grandfather's home in Georgetown. She'd assumed he had destroyed it. "How…?"

"We had a talk with the University Regents. Either they fixed the records, or I'd open up an investigation into them accepting bribes to falsify documents, notably those conveying advanced degrees," Marcie told her with a twinkle in her eye. "Too bad they decided to cooperate. I was really looking forward to it."

"I'm so sorry they spoiled your fun. But thank you, both. This…it's a part of who I am, and I'd been thinking I was losing me…" she broke off with a sniffle.

"Well, it wasn't totally our idea," Foster admitted. "Lewis had asked if we could give him contact lists for Columbia and UH Manoa, and told us about your missing records."

She looked down and realized the document frame was thinner than she had thought, and that there were actually two. The bottom one was for her Master of Sciences from the University of Hawaii. "Oh, wow. This is…oh," she sniffed and bit back a sob.

Lewis' lips brushed her temple. "Hush cherished. The other guests will think you are upset."

Keri sighed and leaned back against her new husband, clutching the frames to her chest. "You didn't forget," she said, thinking of the time on the road when she'd told him she was losing pieces of herself.

"No, I did not."

"I love you."

She watched Marcie and Foster take the opportunity to melt back into the crowd. Lewis waited until they were several yards away and then tilted her chin back to kiss her tenderly on the lips. "And I love you, my Keridwen."

... ...

Caryn bustled up to Lewis and Keri's table. Honestly, if everything were left to the dominants, they'd never get on with all of the traditions. She stopped short about ten feet away and waited until they finished what looked like a very sweet kiss. Starting forward again when they were done, she flinched at Lewis' sharp look. "Hon, are you ready for your cake?" she asked, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor and directing the question to Keri.

"Oh, um, sure. Is that next?"

"Well, yes, it can be. Ah'm kind of assuming you want to do this all in the best order to get you out of here the quickest," she said slyly.

"Excellent assumption," Lewis agreed; his voice dry.

Oh my. He _was_ looking a bit restless. Maybe they should kind of rush things along. "Okay, I'll get the cake over here so you can cut it." She dashed off and waved down one of the dominants who were handling the catering. "You have the cake ready?"

"Yes, Doctor Townsend. It's on the garden cart as you suggested."

"Good, can you have it wheeled out? Set it up just in front of the bride and groom's table, okay?"  
"As you wish." The man strode off towards the kitchen, calling two other dominants over to him on the way.

... ...

"I remember this _tradition_, my own. There will be no smashing of cake in my face, or yours. Agreed?"

"Oh, definitely. I've always thought that was crass, anyway." She twisted in his lap and looked into his eyes seriously. "Besides, I am not ruining a twelve thousand dollar silk dress with icing stains."

"Fifteen, but yes, that would be wasteful."

"What fifteen? How did it get from twelve to fifteen?"

Lewis smiled at his wife's dismay. "Keridwen, it hardly matters. I can afford it, remember?"

"I know," she said, sounding cross. "So can I, but that's not the point. I do believe in getting value for my money…even if my interpretation of value is a lot looser than the average woman's."

"The dress itself was still twelve thousand dollars. But if you recall, you did a great deal of exercising between your first fitting and the final, and while I know you are not pleased with the amount of weight you lost so far, you did firm up a great deal and lost quite a few inches. They had to take apart the dress three times, re-cut it to your new measurements, and then sew it all over again. Each time added a thousand dollars to the cost."

She gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be sorry, my own. I am enjoying the results of your hard work. And the fitter you are, the easier your pregnancy will be, hmm?"

"Yessss…"

"And the easier this pregnancy is, the more likely you are to agree to another…"

Her eyes rolled and her bottom lip dropped into a pout. "It figures," she said. "I knew there had to be something more in it for you. And…

"And, the cake is here and Dr. Townsend is getting the attention of our guests. Shall we?"

"I'm beginning to rethink the cake smashing idea," she said darkly.

"Keridwen…"

Keri ignored the censure in his voice and hugged him fiercely when he stood. "I'm kidding, love. You know that."

He sighed. "I knew you were going to be a difficult mate," he grumbled.

"Yep, and you love every minute of it."

"So I do."

She chuckled and led the way around the table, tugging him along by his fingers. Caryn was looking at her with trepidation, wondering, no doubt, what kind of trouble she was going to cause.

... ...

Handing Lewis the ornate silver knife, Caryn gestured at the cake. "The two of you each have a hand on the knife and cut one symbolic…"

"Yes," he said impatiently. "I know what to do. We cut a small slice, then break it in two and feed each other."

"Um, yes…"

"We will not be smashing…"

"Lewis, relax."

Caryn's eyes widened when Lewis stiffened slightly and then did as his mate suggested. Keri moved in front of her husband, and he wrapped his left arm snugly around her waist, and took her right hand in his. "Are we ready?" he asked.

She nodded to them and stepped out of the way so that everyone could see. Lewis, of course, directed them in cutting an absolutely perfect slice of the white cake with buttercream icing, and then split it in half. It seriously appeared as though they had practiced just that maneuver! Then they moved to face each other, and each of them lifted a bite of cake to the other's mouth. She leaned forward to listen to what Lewis was whispering…she heard something about providing then straightened as he looked up sharply and glared. "Sorry," she muttered, feeling her cheeks heat with a blush.

Keri smiled, took the cake Lewis proffered, and licked his fingers while she was at it. He chuckled, opened his mouth for the piece she had raised to his lips, and then closed it over her fingers. Caryn blushed again as he blatantly sucked on his wife's fingers for a few moments. Ribald comments arose from the crowd…from the bikers, and from…Jeff? Oh dear. Lewis was shaking his head. "Let it go, love," Keri whispered.

"I'll let something go…all right," he sighed. "I'll let it go today. But by tomorrow he had better show respect." He turned to look at Caryn. "If you value him, you should advise him how thin the ice has gotten."

She gulped. "Okay. Ah'll do that."

... ...

He picked up a linen napkin and cleaned off his fingers, Keridwen's fingers, and dabbed the side of her mouth where a bit of icing clung. "Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm. She took it, and they moved back around the table and sat down so that she could rest her abused feet until it was time to dance.

"That's so much better," his wife muttered, slipping her feet out of her shoes again.

"You could always dance barefoot," he suggested.

"No, I couldn't. I'm wearing stockings."

"I could…remove them." He chuckled as her cheeks pinkened. "Or not."

"Not. I need them on when we do the garter bit." She looked at him with a speculative gleam in her eye. "You do remember about the garter, don't you?"

"Ah…no, remind me."

She chuckled now, and rather wickedly. "They'll call all the single men forward. I sit in a chair and you get down on a knee, then you slowly raise my skirt, exposing more and more leg, until you reach the garter. Then you slide it down my leg, stand, and toss it backward over your shoulder for one of them to catch."

He frowned. "Giving them all the opportunity to stare at your legs?"

"Yep. It's supposed to make all the single men envious of your married state."

Lewis snorted. "We'll see about that." He sat back and turned to glare at his wife's sib who was standing across the table, watching them with amusement. "What do you want?" he growled.

"Don't get mad at me," Anja muttered; her tone a cross between sullen and defensive. "I'm just messenger. _They_ said it's time for dancing."

"They? Who are _they_?"

"Lewis, be nice."

"Keridwen…"

"Come on, let's go dance. The sooner we do it, the sooner we're done, right?"

"Hmm, true." He smiled and pulled her to her feet, barely waiting for her to slip her feet back into the hated high heels.

... ...

Keri sighed happily as she rubbed her cheek against Lewis' jaw. She'd picked out the music for their first dance herself, one of her favorites. Humming along with the tune, she whispered the chorus. "I knew I loved you before I met you. I think I dreamed you into life. I knew I loved you before I met you, I have been waiting all my life."

"Cherished?"

"Hush, I'm having a special moment," she scolded.

Her husband chuckled. "And I'm not part of that moment?"

"You _are _that moment."

"No, my love. _We_ are that moment." His lips lightly brushed her temple and he tightened his embrace. "Everything about you is special."

She carefully kept her head tilted down so that he wouldn't see the mischief brewing. "Even when I disagree with you?"

"Now where did that mood come from, my own?" His lips twitched at her dismay. "You did tell me to pay more attention to the emotional, did you not?"

"Oh fine, now you listen to me," she muttered then looked up quickly. "Lewis? That wasn't a complaint. I do want you to pay attention to the emotional."

"I know. You, my wife, are an open book to me." Her eyebrows rose at that claim. "Except when you choose to block me," he amended ruefully.

"I won't block you anymore. I didn't even really know I was doing it then."

He stopped to kiss her as the music changed and their guests applauded politely. "You may block me whenever you wish. It's a skill you may need some day. I know you'd rather not think about it right now, but we do have enemies and some of them have abilities that rival mine."

"You're right; I don't want to think about it. Now hush." She grinned at his barely concealed annoyance at being told to hush for the…third time? "Now you have to dance with Anja…so be a good big brother."

Lewis frowned. "And you will be dancing with…?"

"Tom. You dance with the maid of honor and I dance with the best man."

"Good. You are _not_ dancing with Jeffrey."

"Lewis! It wouldn't mean anything."

"I know it, but that young man has already gotten away with far too much today. _You_ may be smug since I love you, but I have no such feeling for him, so smugness from that quarter will not be tolerated."

"But we have to switch off and dance with the rest of the wedding party."

"They'll forgive us for being too preoccupied with each other to comply with that tradition." He leaned down to whisper in her ear; "I want no other man's hands on you if it can be avoided. Tom is safe as he has his own bond mate."

"Oh, Lewis. I love you so very much."

"I know." As he turned away, Keri lost it and giggled at _his_ smug tone.

... ...

Tom tilted his head, confused; as Keri took his offered hand for the dance that Sloan had insisted was 'tradition'. Lewis' bond mate was shaking her head and fighting laughter. "Ah…" he began.

"Your cousin," she informed him, "is quite a piece of work."

He nodded. "You should know," he agreed as she leaned into the dance. "At least, I would hope you know, since you married him."

"Yes." He decided that her grin was almost contagious. "Why do you think I did marry him?"

"I must admit to being confused about that," he allowed. "You were already his bond mate, which is a closer relationship than any sapiens ceremony could confer. Why was a wedding so important to you?"

"Oh, Tom; the wedding itself isn't all that important. It's that Lewis loves me enough to want me to have all the bells and whistles I would have had if I'd fallen in love with someone else…I mean, someone who wasn't a dominant."

He mulled that over while they continued to dance. "Would Sloan want that? All the bells and whistles, as you call it?"

She rolled her eyes. "What do you think?"

Tom sighed. "I think I need to find out the name of that jeweler," he told her, lifting her left hand slightly.

**ELSEWHERE**

Kevin trudged back to the motel from the grocery outlet store on the corner of Shaw and Clovis. He reached out carefully as he approached the front office…no one was inside. Sighing, he continued towards their room. The last thing he needed was another encounter with the manager. Even though he'd brought them the cash to pay for another week, they were still being nosy, asking where his father was…and why he wasn't in school. Wasn't any of their business…besides, he'd like to know where his father, uh, his sire was, too.

After making sure that his 'tell' was still in place and that no one had entered the room in his absence, he opened it and slipped inside…and promptly dropped the grocery bags on the floor. Two half-clothed people, dominants, were sprawled over the queen sized bed…his eyes widened as he realized what they were doing. A resounding slap echoed through the room, and the male sat up, tossing back his long light brown hair.

"Damn it, Sarah, what the hell was that for?"

"Turn around and see."

Kevin paled as the male turned around and glared at him. "What the hell do you want?" he demanded.

"Uh…this is my room."

"Shit, you must be Kevin. Where's Richard?" The male stood, reached for his clothing, and began to dress; all without taking his eyes off of him.

"Who wants to know?" he managed, _almost_ without a quaver in his voice.

The female had wrapped the sheet around her body and was sitting up in the bed looking put out…and somehow pleasantly…rumpled. "We're from the council's office. Your sire called us in to help, Kevin. We need to talk to him, find out what he knew about the fugitives."

Sighing, he picked the bags back up and hefted them up onto the counter that topped the small refrigerator. "I don't know where he is," he admitted. "After we spotted them yesterday, he sent me back here while he followed them. He called me once just before dark last night and said he'd lost them, but that he was going to keep looking." He frowned and tried to push down his fear. "I haven't heard from him since."

"Shit," the male muttered. "He probably found them…or, more to the point, they found him."


	9. Chapter 9

Anja frowned as Lewis led her in the old-fashioned dance steps. He was a fine dancer, as she had expected, but she didn't like the way he was holding her…like a sib. It was a damn shame he was her sib's bond mate. His back muscles moved smoothly, but powerfully under her hand, and, well…maybe Mark had more, but she'd heard that Lewis had really excelled at sexual technique training, whereas Mark, who had an entirely different career path, had received no training in that area at all. Ah well. Didn't matter, she would not even attempt to take her sib's man, even if he hadn't been her bond mate. Keri would have given her that _look_…lower lip drooping in a pout, her gray eyes big, sad, and brimming with held back tears. Ach! Who could stand against such a thing? Well, Lewis, evidently. She looked up at her sib's m…er, husband. He was staring intently over her shoulder, his eyes smoldering. She glanced back to see her sib speaking earnestly with Tom. "What, you think something's going on?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Lewis frowned, looking a bit confused. "Going on with…ah. No, of course not. It's not possible. Tom has a bond mate, he's no threat."

"Oh, like anyone's a threat to you," she snickered, looking up at him.

His left eyebrow rose. "There are a few," he admitted. "Not many, and not to my relationship with Keridwen, but I do have rivals in other areas."

"Huh. Damien?" she asked with a half smirk.

"My half-brother is still on your mind? Hasn't he given you enough trouble?"

She shrugged. "I like living dangerously."

"Make no mistake, Anja. There is a line, and you are perilously close to crossing it."

"Am I wrong? You not rivals for power?"

"That is not the point. You cannot continue to bait those who do possess power. Eventually you'll be called on it, and you will die. Keridwen would be distraught…and that would irritate me to no end."

Anja snickered. "Yeah, but wouldn't be my problem." She winced as he gave her a caustic look and tightened his grip on her right hand. "Hey, I can handle Damien."

"Of course you can. That's why you ended up in surgery last week."

A deep sigh escaped before she could stop it. She pursed her lips, thinking. "Can you handle him?"

"Of course."

Anja frowned. Lewis' voice was confident and, as usual, he was tightly shielded…but she could swear she saw uncertainty in his eyes.

... ...

Jeffrey stopped short as Caryn cut him off. "What's up, sweetheart? It's my turn to dance with the bride."

"Yeah, hon, I know. But you behave yourself. Lewis is in a real snit with the way you've been acting."

"Aw, hell. I've just been having some fun."

"Lewis isn't amused. Only Keri's been holding 'im back from your throat."

"Damn. Okay. I'll be good."

"You do that. I don't want to be scraping you up off the floor anytime soon."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "That's not going to happen," he whispered into her ear. She gave him a skeptical look that only made him grin. "I'm serious; I won't endanger your favorite play toy."

"Better not. I'd be seriously pissed if my toy got himself damaged."

Jeffrey grinned harder as he leaned in to nibble on her earlobe. "Ah no, no damaging, I promise." He kissed her briefly then moved to tap Tom on the shoulder. "My turn, cuz."

Tom frowned at him, but released Keri.

"Having a good time?" Jeffrey asked as he reached for Keri's hand. He blinked in surprise as she pulled back from him and tugged at the hand grasping hers with her free one. "What's wrong? You're supposed to be dancing with the groomsmen now, aren't you?"

"Jeff, just let go and back off, quick, okay?"

"It's okay, Caryn gave me the message. I'm going to be Mr. Perfect Gentleman. People who don't know better are going to think we're sibs."

"Not good enough," she told him urgently. "Plans have changed. Jeff, I mean it. Lewis…" she broke off and her eyes widened as he felt fury coming up in a wave from behind him.

He turned in time to see Lewis stalking towards him, only slightly hampered by Caryn, who was clinging desperately to his left arm, arguing with him, and digging her high heels into the ground. You've got to love a woman who will go all out to protect you, he thought, then frowned in surprise at how natural thinking about loving Caryn had become. Lewis stopped about ten yards away and glared at Caryn as he looked back up. "Ah, shit." He glanced at the bride, trying not to subject her to the return glare that Lewis deserved…but failing. Knowing that Lewis was in range to hear a normal conversational tone he tried to distract him from Caryn by saying, "Keri, your husband is a real asshole."

She gave him a mutinous look, and then her eyes widened slightly and began to sparkle as she picked up on what he was doing. Keri took on a haughty look and sniffed. "Well, maybe…sometimes. But he's _my_ asshole."

Jeffrey stared at her a minute, then shook his head, choking on laughter. Then he remembered Lewis and spun back around. Lewis was still attached to Caryn…or rather, Caryn to Lewis, but he was no longer prying her fingers from his arm. Instead, he was staring at them with a disconcerted look. Jeffrey glanced back at Keri. "You know, I keep telling people that you can handle Lewis, but I really didn't know you could do it so well."

Keri mock-curtsied and snickered. "Well, someone has to." Lewis was starting to frown again and she hastily added, "And that's my privilege, so back off. Besides, you're the one who would end up getting _handled_, and Caryn wouldn't appreciate having to either nurse you back to health or bury you."

Jeff stepped back, hands raised in front of him. "Hey, I know when I'm outclassed." Turning slightly so that his back was to Lewis he whispered, "Or at least, outmuscled."

... ...

She doubled over, biting her lower lip and squeezing her eyes shut in a heroic attempt to stifle laughter. "Will you stop!" she whispered back. "You're going to get yourself seriously hurt, and I won't be able to do a damn thing to prevent it. Now, be a good boy and scram."

"Ah, Keri," he evidently couldn't resist whispering as he moved to step past her. "I've never been anything other than a man for you."

Keri covered her face with one hand and groaned. Jeff was going to get himself so dead. She looked back to where Lewis had stopped to disentangle himself from Caryn…she had to warn her not to try that again. Lewis could be patient the first time someone did something that truly pissed him off, but after that, he tended to take no prisoners…at least, psychologically speaking. Caryn finally stepped back from Lewis with a sheepish smile. Keri looked around and saw Jeff disappear into the house. "Phew. Close call." She waited while Lewis said something softly to Caryn that made her gulp, flush, and then nod vigorously. "Oh dear. She's probably got the message now."

... ...

Lewis strode away from the trembling bridesmaid. He hadn't really meant to frighten her when he warned her not to pull such a stunt with him again, but evidently had taken too strong a tone. Strange, he'd thought the Texan had a stiffer spine than that. Ah, well. Perhaps Keridwen could have a word with her. He finally reached his bride, and noted that she was beginning to wilt. It was about time. Now she wouldn't protest leaving. "Let's go inside, cherished," he said quietly.

"We're not done yet. We still have to do the bouquet and garter toss."

He looked up at the sky, hoping, rather irrationally, that a sudden squall would save him the indignity of the rest of the damned traditions. No, there was not a cloud in the sky; it was still too early in the fall for rain in Fresno. He leaned down to nuzzle his wife's left ear. "Then let's get it over with. I'm growing impatient. We haven't had any real privacy since early this morning."

Keridwen blushed and chuckled softly. He smiled as she pressed herself full length against him and rubbed her cheek on his…jaw? Ah, he'd forgotten the hated heels. "Well, if you didn't scare Caryn into a faint, I imagine she'll be happy to rush things along for us."

"I did _try_ to be gentle."

"I'm sure you did."

"You don't believe me."

"Lewis, I _always_ believe you. I just think that your perception of when you're gentle or not is a bit…well, off."

He considered that. "Possibly." He trailed a finger down the side of her cheek. "You'll see to it, then?"

"Yes, love."

Lewis smiled as he watched his wife hurry across the lawn in the direction that Caryn had fled. Jeffrey Garret was only partly right. Keridwen may be able to handle him, when he allowed it, but he could always handle Keridwen.

... ...

Caryn looked up nervously when Keri approached her, Sloan, Tracie and Beth. "Is everythin' okay?" she asked, wincing as she heard her drawl emerge.

"Fine," Keri assured her.

"Hmm." Caryn looked Keri in the eyes as the other three women discretely withdrew. "So, how much trouble am I in with Lewis?"

"Not much. He thought he was warning you gently that trying to hold him back was a no-no. Kind of startled him when you got so frightened."

"Oh for…I wasn't afraid for me. I was afraid for Jeff. Hon, I looked into his eyes…there was death there."

"Yeah, and Jeff is just maybe _starting_ to get that. You know, for a high-ranking member of a group that wants Lewis' support, he's really screwing up. It's going to make Lewis more confident in his belief that coexistence has no chance."

"Does he really think that?"

"Yes, and that's why he won't support it, it's not that he supports the Council's official position, he just honestly believes coexistence to be a lost cause."

"Well, dayum." Caryn stared at the ground for a moment and then looked back up. "You didn't come rushing over here for that warning, did you? I am really in that much…"

"No, I told you, you're fine with Lewis. He's got, or at least had, some respect for you because of how much you risked for Tom."

"Had?"

Keri shrugged. "Well, he seemed awfully disappointed when he felt your fear. I think he'll get the respect back when he realizes it was fear of losing Jeff."

"Oh."

"Anyway, Lewis really wants us to get out of here, and I'm getting tired. I never could handle big crowds for too long, especially when I'm the center of attention." She grimaced. "It's mostly because I find shielding so hard. So, is there anything you can do to hurry the rest of the traditions along…or maybe we can skip them?"

Caryn bristled. "Skip them? No way, hon, this is probably the first chance a lot of these people have had to see a sapiens style wedding. And they sure as hell need to get used to it."

Giggling, Keri moved closer. "Got Jeff hog-tied yet?"

"Well, no. But I think he's starting to think of us as a permanent thing."

"Cool. I think Tom's starting to get a clue, too. Hmm."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Double wedding?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the _idea_ is great. Jeff and Tom are almost a matched pair and with you and Sloan both being redheads…it would look adorable…but…" she trailed off, shaking her head.

"Don't think dominant men can share the spotlight?"

"Oh, please. Can you imagine it? Maybe Tom would, but Jeff is an attention hog, even more so than Lewis."

"Huh. Hadn't thought of that, but you're probably right." She frowned and looked around at the crowd. "Okay, let me get everyone together, and the DJ prepped, and see if we can't get rid of that bouquet and garter for you."

"Ah, Caryn?" She stopped moving and looked back. "I'll remind Lewis of what the garter thing entails, but if he insists on doing it his own way, don't try…"

"Got it. Let him improvise anything he damn well pleases."

"Yep, that's it. Thanks."

... ...

Keri fidgeted nervously as she waited for her chair to be brought around in front of the head table. Lewis was having a 'discussion' with Mark, no doubt about Gerard's comments. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Why didn't they just let her work on Lewis, why did everyone try to push so hard? Lewis was intelligent, stubborn, arrogant…and gorgeous. Okay, she told herself, stop getting sidetracked. If they'd just give him space to see the possibilities and find a reason to rationalize changing his position, she was sure he would. She glared at Gerard as he moved into place with the rest of the crowd, damned idiot anyway, opening his mouth before getting caught up on what was happening. They just weren't giving Lewis a chance.

Caryn bustled up to her with Anja in tow. Her sib had evidently taken her bouquet duties seriously. She had the red roses cradled carefully in her arms…and they still looked as fresh as they had this morning. "Well, we're gettin' them separated," she said, evidently too agitated to even notice she'd slipped into her drawl. "Single women first. Some of them were givin' me a hard time, but Alexa took over. That lady must be one hell of an officer."

Sloan walked up in time to hear the comment. "Well, she certainly has Ed marching to her tune."

"Oh, Sloan, meow," Keri couldn't resist saying. "Got a problem with him looking elsewhere now that you are irrevocably removed from the game?"

"No, no I don't. I just meant that Ed was never that…focused on any one woman before, and no, not even me. His work always came first; then play. And it was always casual, more friendship with sex than anything else...well, for those he went that far with. That's why it ever went anywhere with us…I needed a romantic kind of love in a relationship that was totally removed from my work, and with someone who wouldn't even remember work when he was with me…and that someone just wasn't Ed."

Keri bit her lip. Evidently Sloan had been having some issues with the changing dynamic of her relationship with her best friend. She decided to try and lighten her up. "Hmm, maybe it's different with Alexa because he can stare into her eyes without straining his neck…or kiss her without straining his back?"

The other woman stared at her, mouth hanging open in shock, and dissolved into laughter. "Oh, God, Keri. The picture…oh no." She snickered a bit more. "Though, you never know, maybe it did have something to do with it, you know, some obscure psychological reason."

She was sure it had, and of the not so obscure reason, but Lewis had arrived and was looking impatient. Maybe she could discuss it with Sloan later. "I think we're all ready," she said to him. "Anja?" Keri held out her hands and her sib carefully handed over the bouquet. "Thank you…why is it cold?"

Anja shrugged. "I put it in the refrigerator. You were complaining Fresno was too hot for it, that it would die too fast."

"Oh. Great idea, thanks, sweetie!"

Her sib frowned at the endearment. "You're welcome," she muttered and followed Caryn to the dance floor. She really was trying to be a good sport. Anja only attempted to escape Caryn's watchful eye once on the way there.

... ...

Lewis looked the gathering single women over. Somehow Dr. Townsend had managed to coerce nearly a dozen dominant females to join the group. Ah, no, not the doctor, Alexa had apparently ordered them there. He watched his firstborn daughter try to slip back into the main crowd. That wouldn't do at all. "Alexa," he called out. "Going somewhere? Last I heard you were officially a single female."

Alexa gave him a look that would have curdled milk."Damn it," she muttered just loud enough for him to hear. "You're intruding in my life, why now?"

He chuckled and leaned back against the table to further enjoy the show.

... ...

She glared at her sire for interfering. Now she had to join the group or lose face with the others for ordering them to do what she would not. Damned man had to have his entertainment…this time at her expense. She forced herself to let the anger melt away…he would enjoy it too much if she didn't. Examining the shape of the crowd and noting the angle at which Keri was standing with her back to them, she made a strategic move a bit off to the side. While still, technically, being part of the group, she was certain that the bouquet would never reach her. A smug smile crept out as she met her sire's eyes. He wasn't going to win this one.

"Okay, ladies. Are you all ready?" Keri called out. A resounding yes from the sapiens and a few confused responses from the other dominants answered her.

Alexa looked back at Lewis. Strange, his amused expression still hadn't changed. Could it be that he found the whole process amusing, and not just the fact that he had forced her to participate in it? She jumped, startled, as something bulky rapidly entered her range of vision. Her hands automatically moved to prevent the object from striking her and closed on…the damned bouquet. Alexa groaned as she stared at the roses. She looked up, expecting to see Lewis smirking. He wasn't. Actually, he looked sympathetic.

... ...

Well, that was one down and one to go. Karl looked around casually and noted one of the staff hurrying towards him. "Well?"

"The odds are now eight to one against. Do you want to increase your wager?"

Karl studied Lewis carefully before responding. "The bet is that he will either not go through with it at all, or will circumvent the less tasteful part of the tradition, correct?"

"Yes."

"And if he does follow the spirit of the tradition, risqué music and all, I win?"

"Yes, yes, if he does that, you win."

He nodded. For those odds he'd risk it. He wanted to buy T something special as a welcome present, but didn't have much in the way of cash. He'd never regretted the lack of currency before, after all, everything they needed, and in most cases simply wanted, was provided for them. It was the same here, within reason, as when he was working for the council. But this was different. He wanted enough money to personally get something nice for his female. The little he had available to bet wouldn't buy her anything he felt was worthy of her, so this was his best chance. Handing over the remainder of his cash he said, "All right. The first twenty was at four to one, and this forty is at eight to one." The maintenance man nodded, slipped the money into a pocket and dashed away. Karl turned back to watch the bride and groom carefully and smiled, feeling just a bit smug. The majority felt that there was no way that Lewis was going to expose his mate's legs to this crowd with the old tune, 'The Stripper', playing in the background. But, having seen her in action, he was betting on Keri.

... ...

Keri grinned and turned to her husband. "Told you I could get it to her," she crowed.

"So you did. I still don't understand how."

She shrugged. "I just wanted it to happen, really bad, so it did."

"Should we add telekinesis to the already impressive list of your abilities?"

"No, I'm not telekinetic, I can just…well, influence stuff, maybe. Sometimes." She knew her explanation sounded lame, but she was certain she didn't have that particular ability. She'd tried for years to purposely move things with her mind and had never succeeded. Blasting doors open and making things shake enough to fall didn't count. Those were a directed force of emotion; she didn't really have any fine control over it.

"Well, whatever you did, thank you, cherished. The look on Alexa's face was absolutely priceless." He turned from her and motioned to the photographer. "You did get that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. Is your partner in place?"

"He's just a few yards away from her. He'll have a good shot when she sees the garter caught."

"Good. I appreciate it."

"My pleasure, sir."

"Lewis, what are you up to?"

"Me?"

She gave a long-suffering sigh. "Yes, you. You don't see any other arrogant, manipulative men around here…oh. I guess there are at that, but I definitely meant you."

He chuckled and stole a quick kiss. "Can you do the same with the garter?"

"You want Alexa to catch the garter?"

"Of course not. Get it to Tate."

"Oh. Are you matchmaking? No, Lewis, what are you up to?" she asked as her suspicions began to rise.

He gave her a bland look and shrugged. "Well, if she must spend time with Tate, there should be some public acknowledgment of it, don't you think?"

Keri frowned. What was he…? Oh. "Lewis. The embarrassment won't separate them, you know."

"No?"

"No. I'll still try to get the garter to Ed…but it will be because _I'm _matchmaking."

"As you wish, cherished."

She gave him a bland look of her own. "Are you ready for this…you're supposed to play it up and all, you know."

He frowned. "Perhaps we could simply remove the thing discretely, then toss it, and leave."

"Well, the odds are at least five to one against you following the tradition, so you'll make the bookies happy."

"They're betting against me?" he asked, sounding offended.

Keri carefully did not look up. "Well, I guess they must know you. They understand that you're too dignified for something fun; and too predictable."

She felt his annoyance rise…predictably. "I'm predictable, hmm?"

"Yep."

... ...

A thought occurred to him. "Keridwen, did you take this bet?"

"Uh, yeah. That's how I knew the odds were at least five to one against."

"Hmm, fortunately, you can afford to lose." He walked over to Dr. Townsend, steeling himself for the ordeal. "We're ready."

"Oh, okay." She hesitated. "Now, you do know about the music, right?"

"Yes, some tawdry tune, play it up, let them see a lot of leg, and so on."

"Well, more or less." The woman shrugged and called out to the DJ. "Okay, if you're ready, we're ready."

Lewis turned and eyed his wife. She was sitting quietly in her chair, feet half out of her shoes, again. Her expression was calm and he didn't feel any mischief…however…he still had the feeling that she was up to something. Ah well, she might irritate him at times, but at least he was never bored. "Are you ready for this, my own? To have your legs exposed, and etcetera?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Good thing I've been walking so much and using your machines."

He smiled slowly. She was toning up nicely. Her weight was perhaps still more than average, but she was healthy and her body was tightening under the vigorous exercise program she'd committed to. His eyes narrowed as he realized that the males in the group would now get to see just how enticing…no. He had to do this; his honor was, more or less, at stake. Ah well. He took his place slightly off to her side as the music began to play. It took every bit of his willpower to raise her dress up, a bit at a time, teasing the audience with a glimpse, stopping, and then continuing again. He even managed to play the part of the proud husband showing off his bride. It was the best damn acting job he'd done in his entire life. "You still okay, cherished," he asked under his breath as he noticed her furious blush.

"Fine," she ground out between teeth clenched in a false smile. "And you?" she asked sweetly.

His wife would never know it, but her embarrassment actually made the process tolerable. He laughed as he pulled the hem up just past the garter, then quickly pulled it a bit further up and then back down again in a teaser move. Her eyes had widened and she was staring at him in surprise. He not so discretely caressed her thighs as he slipped his fingers under the lace and ribbon decorated bit of fabric. The music still blared as he slipped it down her leg, several fingers teasing the back of her knee and calf as he did so. Her blush had extended partially down her neck at this point.

"Lewis! Stop that, someone will see!" she hissed.

"I thought that was the idea?"

"Ohhhhh."

He chuckled as he slipped her foot from the shoe and pulled the garter over her ankle, deciding that tickling her foot would be a bit over the top. He did run a finger down the sole, winking at her as she pulled her leg back slightly. Standing, he held up his prize to the cheers of the crowd…there were enough bikers in it to ensure that the whole scene had been raucously enjoyed.

... ...

Ed grumbled under his breath as Alexa pushed him, and not too gently, into the midst of the other single men awaiting the tossing of the garter. "If I had to do it, so do you," she insisted.

"Hey, it's not my fault your father is here, and mine isn't."

"That's not the point. Now, if the thing comes your way, what are you going to do?"

"Not a damn thing." He hastily continued as she frowned at him. "Ah, I mean, I'm going to pretend I don't see it."

"Good. This is annoying enough," she muttered, glaring at the bouquet she hadn't been able to put down because Lewis kept giving her a superior and challenging look every time she approached a table.

He sighed as Caryn exhorted the men to come closer. "I really don't see what the big deal is." Clenching his jaw slightly, he glanced back to where she stood, staring at the gathering. He turned, frowning thoughtfully, to face the front as Lewis stood, holding the garter over his head like a trophy. Was she ashamed of him? Maybe she was embarrassed because he wasn't one of them? Nah.

Lewis was saying something to Keri that made her blush even harder then the removal of the garter had. She stood and half turned away, one hand over her face. Finally, the hand dropped and she nodded, apparently in agreement to whatever her husband had said to her. Jeez, Lewis was now Keri's husband; now that was something that was going to take some getting used to.

"I don't understand any of this," an accented voice to his left muttered.

He looked down at one of the guards, soldiers, or whatever the hell they were. "What don't you understand, Erik?"

The blonde made a frustrated gesture and sputtered. "What all this is supposed to mean. Why toss the bride's bouquet? She goes to all that trouble to get the thing and then gives it away? And now her lingerie; it makes no sense."

Ah. The reason for it made sense to him, but not the continued perpetuation of it, so he could most definitely sympathize. "Well, it used to be that getting married was the main goal in life for people…and not just the women."

"You're kidding?"

"Nope. Not all that long ago, a woman living on her own without a husband or a family member was considered pretty scandalous…unless she was a widow, and even then people wondered why she didn't go home to her family."

"Stupid."

No shit. "Yeah, well, eventually women decided that they were tired of that particular stupidity and broke the chains, so to speak. But way back when, before we were born…probably when Lewis was a kid..." Ed leaned down a bit and muttered, "He was a kid at one point, I'm assuming." Erik snickered and Ed grinned, yeah, he still had it. "Anyway, all of the single women attending a wedding were generally looking for husbands, and the single men were generally looking for wives, so somewhere back in the far reaches of civilized time, someone decided to turn a wedding reception into a matchmaking opportunity. The bride tosses her bouquet, and according to superstition, the woman who caught it would be the next bride. The man who caught the garter was supposed to be the next groom…supposedly hers."

"Why?"

"Mostly because all of the married couples would then do everything they could to get the two together. The joint embarrassment of the teasing that happens after the things are caught would both break the ice and give them something in common to talk about…so that gave the matchmakers an edge."

"Sounds like a lot of trouble for nothing. You want a female, you prove you are worthy of her, she accepts you, then all is well."

Ed sighed. "I wish it was that easy, or that it wasn't so easy to fall in love with a woman you aren't…" he broke off as something hit him square in the face. Reflexively reaching up, he groaned as his fingers closed on the silk and lace bit of cloth. "Aw, man." He turned to look at Alexa in dismay. The chameleon's blue eyes were ice cold…but the rest of her looked like she was seething. Fortunately for him, her glare was directed at the bride and groom.

... ...

"Perfect," Lewis said. "Keridwen, you are incredible."

"I know," she said in a smug tone.

"Still being smug?"

"Yep. And I still love you, even if you are being a pooh about Alexa and Ed."

He frowned, not liking the idea of her comparing him to fecal matter. "A what?"

"A pooh. You know, a party pooper."

Ah, better than fecal matter, he thought, but still… "You are simply annoyed that you lost your bet."

She smirked at him. "Who said I lost?"

"I thought you bet against me?"

"No, I said the odds are at least five to one against you following the tradition, so you'd make the bookies happy, and you asked if they were betting against you. And the bookies were betting against you."

"You also said that you'd taken the bet," he reminded her.

"Exactly, I bet against the bookies."

He smiled, shaking his head. "I'd thought you were agreeing with them about my predictability."

"Oh right, I'm going to call the man who covered himself in expensive chocolate and…uh…well, you know; like I'm going to call that man predictable? I don't think so."

"Good point, I'm glad that you see that."

"I see _everything_, love," she boasted.

... ...

Alexa snarled in disbelief. How in hell had that garter hit Ed in the face? Granted, he was taller than all of the other single men, except possibly the one biker and Karl, but still…Lewis' follow through on the toss shouldn't have directed it anywhere remotely near Ed. Something influenced it…somehow. Glaring at her sire, she was certain that this was somehow his fault.

"Hey, Alexa, I'm really sorry," Ed muttered. "I swear; I got as far away as I could and…"

"I know you did. It shouldn't have come anywhere near you, any more than the bouquet should have come in my direction."

"Then how…?"

She shook her head. "I don't know how, but Lewis is involved, I'm certain of it…and he _will_ own up to it."

Ed frowned and turned to look toward the head table. "Lewis? Are you sure it wasn't Keri? I mean, with everything else, maybe she's telekinetic."

"Keri would not purposely cause those she considered friends embarrassment."

"Maybe not, but maybe she's thinking she's matchmaking."

Before she could respond, she spotted Dr. Townsend making a beeline for them. "Damn." She looked up at the sky, hoping to see some sign of inclement weather. "Does it never rain in this town?" she groused.

"Nope. At least, not before late October, from what I'm told."

"This is all Lewis' fault, I just know it."

"I wouldn't put it past him."

... ...

Karl carefully hid his smile as he watched Dr. Townsend herd Alexa and Dr. Tate towards the head table. If Alexa noticed his mirth, she'd kick his butt…or die trying. Though, in truth, his mirth was not totally caused by the discomfort he could feel from the pair, winning the bet was elating. He allowed one corner of his mouth to curve as the "bookie" made his way through the crowd.

"I saw it, but I don't believe it," the man said when he reached him. "If I believed in witchcraft, I'd say that female had cast a spell on Lewis."

"That was totally a matter of his pride…not his bride."

He waited as four hundred dollars in bills of various denominations was counted out and handed over. "Well, I don't know what it is, but it cost a lot of us. Got to pay off his mate, too. Only the two of you bet he'd do it."

Karl waited until the man had moved away before letting the admittedly self-satisfied smile to emerge. He turned to find an irritated T watching him, her arms folded across her chest. That was _not_ a good sign.

"What are you up to?" she asked with one imperious eyebrow raised.

"Uh, settling a bet."

"I see. Just this morning you were grumping about not having much in the way of money, so now you're gambling?"

He tried not to let his surprise show. How had she known he was griping out loud about it? He was certain he wasn't facing her. "Ah, well…I won."

The other eyebrow rose. "Good. Does this mean I'm not going to have to lip read backwards again?"

"Huh?"

She chuckled and moved in close to wrap an arm around his waist…well more or less considering the difference in their heights. "If you really want to hide something from me, don't stand in front of a window…or anything else reflective if you feel you actually have to verbalize it."

Groaning, Karl sank into the nearest chair and pulled her between his knees. From this vantage he was able to look her straight in her almost obsidian eyes. "You always find a way, don't you?" he told her, shaking his head in both exasperation and pride.

"Did you expect anything less?"

... ...

"You are having far too much fun with this, you know."

Lewis pulled another chair over to use as a footstool. "I don't deserve some enjoyment, cherished?"

"Well, not at someone else's expense. Besides, do you really want to alienate your daughter?"

He shrugged. "She'll thank me for saving her from making a mistake with Tate." A wave of emotion washed over him; shock, anger, and sorrow, all coming from his mate? His quick glance had him doing a double take as he realized her eyes were full of tears. "Keridwen?" Reaching out as he dropped his feet back to the ground, he gathered her into his embrace. "What's wrong, my own?"

"Is that what I am, Lewis, a mistake?" She sniffled and angrily wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "Was this, all of this, a mistake? How about this?" she asked, brushing one hand over her abdomen. "Was this a mistake, too?"

"How could you ask such a thing?"

"Well, gee, you tell me."

Another guessing game. To be fair, this type of 'argument' was not limited to his wife. Most sapiens females seemed to…uh oh. "Ah, do you think that I consider Tate to be on your level?"

"He _is_ me…well, my mirror image, anyway. Uh, physiologically speaking, that is," she finished after a pause to wrinkle her nose when she realized that her first statement had sounded rather…odd.

"Cherished…"

"He is, Lewis! Look at us. He has the physical adaptation, I have the PSI. He's male, I'm female. He's tall and lean, I'm short and…"

"Voluptuous," he quickly interrupted, "and not short, simply not tall." Her cheek felt like satin under his caress. "You are both geniuses, or near enough as to make no difference. That is not an opposite."

She sighed. "We're intelligent in different ways. He's more the hard science and math mindset and I'm the language and soft science type. But that's not the point."

All right, now she had really confused him. "Then what, exactly, is the point?"

"There're a couple of them. First, you've told us all that you would never interfere in Alexa's choice of lovers…and you sure as hell are. Second, Ed is attractive, brilliant, physically fit, compassionate, a very hard worker, and takes his relationships seriously. What kind of father…or teacher for that matter," she amended, wagging her right index finger at him as he started to interrupt, "would object to his child or student bringing home someone like Ed?"

He sat back as she pulled away, and allowed her to slide off of his lap. Had he been interfering in Alexa's life? Surely, he'd only been illustrating the absurdity of her attempt to have a relationship with…damn. "I'm sorry, cherished. You're right; I took what should have been nothing more than good natured teasing too far." Shaking his head ruefully, he held out his hands to her…and held his breath until she took them.

"So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Other than desisting? Nothing. Anything I did to _fix_ things would only serve to rub the slur in."

"True. But you could get them out of it, uh, covertly."

He chuckled as he felt her devious streak coming into play. "What do you suggest?"

"Well, you've wanted to get out of here, right?"

His time sense told him that it was five o'clock. "Only for about, oh, I'd say the last three hours."

She leaned in to rub her cheek against his and giggled. "Then let's get out of here."

What? His eyebrows rose as he tried to figure out how that would help. "Um, cherished?"

"It's in the way we get out of here…we're going to make an outrageous distraction. By the time they remember about the bouquet and garter, Ed and Alexa will have escaped."

"Ah…"

"So, follow my lead…"

... ...

Alexa stared sullenly at the roses. Ed sat across from her, feeling worried, and looking miserable. She sighed and looked into his chocolate colored eyes and managed a half smile. "I'm sorry," she offered. "Just because I'm annoyed and miserable, doesn't mean you have to be."

Ed's eyes widened a bit as a hopeful feeling ran through him. "So, I'm forgiven?"

"For what? You didn't catch the damn thing on purpose, Ed. I know that." She paused, distracted by the sight of the bride whispering to her maid of honor…not to mention said maid of honor's expression suddenly brightening rather wickedly. "Now what is she up to?"

"Who?"

"Keri, of course." Anja dashed into the midst of the dancers and emerged on their side of the designated 'dance floor', then began strolling towards them with what she imagined was supposed to be an innocent expression. It must be worse than she thought.

"Hi."

Ed returned the greeting warily, good, she wasn't alone in her suspicions. "What's going on, Anja," she said, getting to the point.

"Oh, well, an opportunity is being arranged. You do want out of here without having to fend off Jeffrey's female, don't you?"

Sliding to the edge of her seat, Alexa allowed herself to hope. "A distraction?"

"Oh yeah, and it will be one hell of a distraction. Stay as far away from my sib as you can and still be in a good spot for escape…but make sure you can see her." Anja giggled…yes, that was really a giggle, then dashed away.

"Ed, get ready to…uh," she was going to say, blend in, but they were both a bit too tall for that. "Just be ready to move quickly and do what I tell you."

"No problem."

... ...

Venting her breath in frustration, Caryn hesitated. Should she go get Keri and Lewis first, or go gather the guests? Hmm…Keri and Lewis were actually much more likely to stay put, but Lewis was already truly pissed and hated to be kept waiting. Her mind made up, she turned and headed toward the 'lucky' couple with the intent of calling the gathering together from in front of the head table.

"Oh hell, here comes trouble," she heard Ed mutter. Great, she was just trying to help Keri have a good wedding day, and now people were annoyed at her.

Alexa stood and turned to face her. "Dr. Townsend, I take it, it's time?"

"Well, yes. We really need to move this along, Lewis is getting really impatient, and…

Ed nearly doubled over laughing. Both women turned to look at him. He grinned through his unruly mop of hair and pointed towards the big house. "I'll say he's impatient. Or maybe he just didn't want to have to get rice thrown at him?"

Caryn turned and gasped in horror. Lewis had picked Keri up, and had slung her over his left shoulder. "Oh…no. They cay-unt leave," she wailed, not even noticing her accent slipping out. "We didn't finish with the bouquet and garter…not to mention the rye-es." She hurried across the yard, bumping into more people that she managed to avoid. "Keri, y'all can't leave yet, we're not done!"

Lewis had turned so that she was now talking to Keri's backside. "I say, we're done," he told her with glittering eyes. "Have you an objection?"

She froze in place and gulped. "Ah…wey-ell, no, ah guess not." Lewis resumed his retreat, seemingly oblivious to Keri's complaints and insistent entreaties to go back to the party. Caryn turned to find the guests all standing and staring in their direction. A few, mostly the bikers, were laughing and enthusiastically calling out ribald comments and suggestions, some of which, she was pretty sure, were anatomically impossible! She trudged back to where she had left Ed and Alexa. They were still going to finish with that, so the dominants would see what it was all about. Her eyes widened when she reached the spot. They were gone! Turning, she searched the crowd but couldn't find them.

"Lose something?" Amy asked from behind her.

"Uh, yeah, the bride and groom, not to mention Ed and Alexa."

"Huh, now that was classic."

"What was?"

"They took off as soon as you started yelling at Keri and Lewis."

Her jaw dropped and she looked at Amy in dismay. She'd been had!

... ...

Lewis shifted a now giggling Keridwen in his arms as he rounded the house and approached the front door. Now this, he thought as he settled her in both arms against his chest, was the proper way to welcome his bride to her home. At least, he was fairly certain that it was.

"Oh, Lewis…did you _see_ their faces? It was priceless, just priceless!"

"I saw," he returned as he faced the door, feeling suddenly perplexed.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

He sighed, and admitted to himself that his plan had a bit of a flaw. "Well, yes. I was going to carry you over the threshold, as is _traditional_," he emphasized. "Unfortunately, I didn't plan to have anyone available to unlock the door."

Keridwen stared up at him in surprise, and then burst into giggles, yet again. "Oh, love," she finally quieted enough to manage. "It's the thought that co…" she broke off as the door began to open from the inside.

"Saw you heading this way," Jeffrey told them. "And I didn't see anyone waiting to let you in."

Lewis stared at the major source of his annoyance with the day and sighed, again. "I suppose you think that this will excuse your actions this afternoon," he said, staring the younger man down.

"Well, no. Mitigate them, maybe? I understand I went too far, Lewis. Just…don't blame Caryn, okay? She shouldn't have interfered, I know, but…"

His eyebrows rose, and Keridwen's jaw dropped in surprise. "You want me to put the blame solely on your shoulders?"

The younger man shifted from one foot to the other. "Um, yes, I mean, that's where it belongs."

The response did nothing to lower his brows or close Keridwen's mouth. At least he wasn't alone in being totally taken aback by Jeffrey taking responsibility for his mistakes. He blinked in consternation. Now what? He couldn't just let it go, but taking revenge on a man who had suddenly decided, however belatedly, to _be_ one wouldn't be very satisfying. "I will hold no grudge against your female," he finally said. "But I suggest you stay out of my sight until I send a messenger to tell you otherwise."

Jeffrey let the breath he was holding gust out. "You've got it. Ah, I take it that applies to Keri as well?"

"You take it correctly. I expect to hear that you haven't as much as laid eyes on her, let alone anything else."

"Oh, come on, Lewis. I wouldn't touch any other man's female, _least _of all yours. I'm not stupid. Ah, well, not _that_ stupid."

"For Dr. Townsend's sake, I hope not."

... ...

"You know what?" Keri asked her husband as he carried her up the stairs to their suite after he'd formally welcomed her into his home.

"What?" he responded, smiling as he played along with her mood.

"I love you!"

"I would never have guessed."

She laughed at his wry tone and then abruptly turned serious. "Thank you." A smile emerged as his left eyebrow rose.

"For?"

"For being you."

"I could hardly be anyone else."

"No? That's strange; I've heard you were the ultimate chameleon, that you could be anybody, anytime."

"Hmm."

"Seriously, now. For admitting you were wrong to badger Alexa and Ed, and for giving Jeff another chance when you really hadn't felt he deserved it."

"A _final_ chance, my own."

"Okaaaay, I'll make sure he…uh, I mean Caryn, understands that."

"Good."

She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed happily as he managed to open their door without putting her down and carried her through. "Thank you," she said again as he carefully laid her down on their bed. That eyebrow rose again. "For this." The other eyebrow rose to match. "Um, I mean the wedding and all. Especially carrying me over the threshold like that…and, well, you know; your welcome speech after Jeff took off. It was all so beautiful, and I'm very lucky that you love me so much that you put up with everything."

Lewis sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed as he stroked her cheek. "For you, cherished, it was worth it." He smiled tenderly. "I love you, Keridwen; you are, as always, my life."

**ELSEWHERE**

The boy swallowed noticeably and his eyes widened with fear. Not so belligerent without his sire to protect him. Randall scooped up Sarah's clothing from the floor and tossed it to her. She was still annoyed, but, hell, she'd get over it. It wasn't like she hadn't wanted it, too. "Okay, so where exactly did your sire first spot Lewis?" he asked the kid.

"He didn't, I did."

Hmm, still belligerent, he's just hiding fear instead of sadism now. "Whatever. Where were they when they were first spotted?"

"Coming out of one of those spa places…you know, the kind where they do hair and nails and massage and all of that stuff. It was on…uh…" Smirking, Randall tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair as he waited for the kid to admit he had no fucking clue where the place was. "Uh, oh, on Fourth Street, the one that dead ends at that hotel on Clovis Avenue. It was on the south side of the street, about half a block west."

"West of what, Clovis Avenue?"

"Yeah." Randall raised an eyebrow. "Uh, I mean, yes sir."

"That's very helpful, Kevin," Sarah interjected. "Do you remember what the name of the spa was?"

"No…I'm sorry, really, but a lot of the businesses around there don't have names on them."

Snorting, Randall asked, "So how did you know it was a spa?"

"It had a sign that said so, and said they did hair, nails, massage, and…uh, reflexology, yeah, that's it. The sign just didn't give the name of the place."

"They should have some records on their customers, right?" Sarah asked.

"Not necessarily. There are a lot of places that will handle discreet business. And if they didn't have a business name posted, it's probably very exclusive and would handle exactly that kind of clientele."

"Oh."

"Did you notice anything odd, Kevin, were they dressed casually, dressed to go out, or what?"

"Casual, kind of. Slacks, not blue jeans, oh, except for the teenager. He was wearing brand new jeans. Um, Tom and the older guy, my sire said he was a chameleon, head of the program, they were wearing tucked in shirts, but no jackets. The others were wearing coats, I guess they were armed, and the women had all kinds of different things on."

"They were all armed, kid. Probably even the teenager if Lewis was involved."

"Oh, I almost forgot, he said the one lady was Lewis' daughter."

He exchanged glances with Sarah then turned back to Kevin. "Tall, blonde, striking looking?"

The boy looked confused. "She was tall and kind of blonde, but she wasn't striking anything."

Randall's eyes closed as he counted to ten, before he reached it, Sarah spoke up. "Striking looking is a way of saying very obviously good looking, not exactly pretty, not exactly beautiful, but a bit of both."

"Oh. Yeah, she was, uh, striking." One of those small nasty smiles he remembered from the last time he'd seen Richard Allen's brat emerged. "There was a really short female, too. Dark curly hair. Even prettier than Dr. Parker."

"One of us?"

The smile, if you wanted to call it that, disappeared. "I'm not sure. There was a couple of sapiens with them, but the things I was picking up got really confusing. It was like one of the sapiens was more like us than her own kind. But they were all really close together, so I probably just got them mixed up. I'm still learning how to separate them."

Nodding, Randall went over the descriptions in his head. The 'short female with dark hair' thing was sticking in his head. Could it be…nah. Damien's courier didn't have curly hair, it had a wave to it, but definitely wasn't…oh. They came out of a place that did hair. No, no way a courier would have her hair curled. "Were they carrying anything?"

"Oh, sure. Lots of stuff from the mall down the road, and a bunch of those garment bags, you know, the ones they put really fancy clothes in." He looked at the ground and chewed on his lower lip. "One of the white ones said something like the princess bride, I think. From the things they were saying, there was going to be a wedding soon."

Sarah looked up at him, her expression shocked and a bit sick. "Oh damn. That big wedding, you don't think…?"

"Shit. But who the hell was getting married, Daniels and Parker?"

"Nope, one of the other redheads, the one with the long hair."

One of the other…hell, that had to mean there were at least three sapiens females with red hair. He should have asked the kid for counts and one by one descriptions. "Okay, but who was she marrying?"

"The one my sire called Lewis."


	10. Chapter 10

Amy wandered through the crowd, bored to tears. After Lewis and Keri's dramatic exit, the atmosphere had changed. It was obvious to her that the dominants had no clue how to have fun. None of them were even dancing! Huh. Tom and Sloan were dancing, but that didn't count because Sloan was human…uh, sapiens. Ditto with Tracie and Karl. She looked around. There were only two guys there who were even close to her age; James and that new kid that came with Tracie…or shared her van ride, at any rate. And the new kid looked like he was only about seventeen, BORING. James was sitting on the back of one of the fancy wood and iron benches that were scattered around the property, having what looked like a pretty serious talk with Bear. If they'd just quit gabbing, James would probably dance with her. She sighed and turned around to head back to the bar for another smoothie and walked straight into a hard body.

... ...

"Let me guess, you were trying to pick between two majors so were too distracted to watch where you were going," Erik said, emphasizing the sarcasm.

"Ha, ha, very funny," the former biker female snapped at him.

He grinned and took a step back. Her goat was so easy to get. "So, what is your excuse?"

"I was checking out the eye candy," she told him, gesturing at James.

"Eye candy?"

"Yeah, you know; something delicious to look at."

"Ah." He frowned and looked back at her. "What is so, uh, delicious?"

"You're kidding, right? J's pretty hot looking. Hell, he's pretty hot, period."

Erik frowned again. "You're pairing with him?"

"Huh? Nah, we had some fun, but now we're just friends…damn it."

Looking her up and down speculatively, he wondered why James didn't seem to be interested. "So, am I hot?"

"Uh, well, yeah. In a different way, but yeah." He watched as she dug the toe of her shoe into the grass, and then looked back up at him. "Do you guys dance?" she asked, pointing at the dance area.

"Yes. Well, not like them."

Amy followed his glance to several of the bikers. "Why not? Don't you think that's hot?"

Hot wasn't the word for it, he thought. "If they're going to do this much, why don't they just strip and do it, not play at it."

The girl almost choked on her laughter. "Dummy, it's like…foreplay, only in public. And on top of that you got the shock factor to enjoy."

"Shock factor?"

"Yeah, that or the gross out factor, depending on the kind of person doing the watching. They're not just getting off on what they're doing; they're having a blast freaking out the stiffs."

Erik shook his head. Shock factor, gross out factor, stiffs. What kind of language was this? It certainly didn't translate well. He made a face as he remembered why he hated colloquialisms so much. "How are you doing with your education?" he said, hoping she'd believe he was changing the subject.

"Fine, it's keeping me busy, but it ain't anything…" she trailed off with a sigh. "It _isn't _anything I can't handle," she amended. "I've got a ton of work to catch up on, but this semester looks like it's going to be duck soup."

Duck soup? He gave up. "Do many of your people dance like that?"

"Well, duh."

"Then I should learn, think you could teach me?"

She turned and looked at the blonde male with the military haircut and the female he writhed against in the dance area. "Like that? Well, if you got decent moves, sure. Better watch it, though. You just might get all worked up."

Erik smiled slowly and held his hand out to her. All worked up he understood. And, after all, that was the whole point of the exercise.

... ...

Caryn scuffed through the grass to the walkway that bordered the main house, and sighed forlornly. All that work to make this the perfect sapiens wedding ceremony, all for nothing because Lewis and Alexa wouldn't play nice. She stopped as an odd sound caught her attention.

"Pssst, Caryn, sweetheart."

What the heck? She looked around before it occurred to her to look up. Jeff was half hanging over their…uh, his balcony. "What are you doin'?" she hissed.

His rich chuckle traveled down to her. "Looking at the most beautiful redhead on the property," he told her, his expression and where his eyes were focused telling her that it was from a really interesting point of view.

"Humph. Lewis and Tom might give you a bit of an argument there, hon."

He shrugged. "I'm not going to argue anything with them. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is it not?" Jeff paused with a questioning expression, so she nodded in agreement. "Well, I'm the one doing the beholding, so it's my opinion that counts."

"Oh, you." He couldn't see it from here in the half light, but he'd bet the house that she was blushing. "I take it you made it up there safe before Lewis headed in."

"Come on up and I'll tell you about my harrowing escape," he teased. "You are all done down there, aren't you? After all, you don't have the bride and groom to bully around anymore." He groaned as he realized, a moment too late, how that had to have sounded. "Caryn, damn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that…my biorhythm chart must have all three cycles at an all time low today."

She stared up at him…no, actually she was glaring. "Ah don' know about all three, but the intelligence cycle sure as hell is."

Ouch. Yeah, his Texas rose was pissed. No wonder with all the interference she'd run with Lewis to save his sorry ass. "Please come upstairs. Let me apologize, okay?"

Caryn sighed. "All right. But Ah'm going to get some cake first. Ah want to enjoy something out of this fiasco."

"Don't forget some champagne to go with it!"

... ...

Keri smiled as her new husband leaned over her and nuzzled her cheek. All, in all, it had been a very good day, a few minor, okay, and not so minor incidents not withstanding. She tried not to giggle as Lewis made a face and pulled back, his fingers tangled in the elaborate hairdo he had created. "Problem, love?"

"I definitely prefer your hair down, cherished."

He did at that. He would play with her hair as often as her body when they nestled together in their bed, running his hands through the somewhat tangled curls, or wrapping locks of it around his fingers. "So do I." She reached up and laced her fingers together behind his neck. "And you know what I can do with it," she teased.

Lewis groaned, no doubt remembering exactly what she had done with it the last time they had made love. It was the only time he had totally lost control and he'd damn near not made it to the main event. "I'll get something to put the pins in," he told her hoarsely, slipping off the mattress and heading for the bathroom.

She allowed the giggle to escape this time. Who would have thought that a little light brushing and tickling with a lock of hair would bring such a powerful reaction? Of course, it had more to do with what she'd been brushing and tickling. Keri rolled over on her side so that she could sit up without tearing the dress. She frowned as her neck itched, reached up to scratch it and found something small and papery sticking to her. Peeling it off and holding it in what little light shone through the half closed drapes, she realized it was a rose petal. "Huh," she muttered, looking around her. Dozens, if not hundreds of petals were scattered over the rich red and gold silk brocade bedspread. "Oh, how romantic." Smiling, she picked up a handful of petals and let them drift through her fingers back down to the bed. He'd thought of everything.

He'd grabbed the pin box from his mate's hair accessories drawer and was turning to leave when he noticed. An ice bucket stood by the ornate bathtub. Curious, he walked over to it, and found a bottle of champagne buried to the neck in ice. The bottom of the tub was littered with something dark, and too small for him to make out in the dimness. Lewis frowned and flipped on the light. Rose petals. The bottom of the tub was covered in dark red rose petals, what the hell? There was also a small pitcher standing by the hot and cold water handles. He didn't even need to bend over it to realize that it was some kind of rose scented oil or lotion. A small folded piece of stiff paper leaned against it. He retrieved it and read that the 'rose water' should be added when the tub was one third full of warm to hot water…it was commercially printed, and had obviously come with the package of rose water. He sighed. If his mate…uh, wife wanted to overindulge in her favorite scent on her wedding night, who was he to deny her. The champagne, however, was an annoying reminder of their morning…spat. "Probably arranged this yesterday, and didn't think to tell whoever set it up for her to skip the champagne," he muttered as he settled the plug in the drain and turned on the hot water. He waited patiently until the water reached one third of the level he normally filled it to, and added the rose water. After allowing it to mix with the hot water, he turned on the cold water tap and adjusted both so that the bath would be an inviting temperature.

"Lewis?" Keridwen called out. "What are you doing in there?"

Humph, as if she didn't know. He stood and returned to her side to find her struggling to reach the catch at the neck of the lace tunic. "I'll get it, cherished." She smiled up at him, and dutifully dropped her arms and waited for him to assist. He unfastened the hook and nuzzled behind her ear. As she shivered, he noticed that the bed was also covered in rose petals. He didn't want to rain on her parade, but, really.

Her head was covered by lace when he asked, "Cherished, don't you think you went just a _bit_ overboard with the rose petals?"

"Huh? Me? I thought you arranged for them."

He pulled back and blinked at her as her face emerged. "Does it please you?"

"Well, I thought it was pretty romantic."

... ...

"Then I wish I could take credit for it, my own," he murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth as he carefully pulled the lace tunic off of her arms. She turned her face to meet his lips and nipped the bottom one. He chuckled and pulled her tight against his chest for a deep kiss then began to unbutton the back of her silk underdress. "While I hardly think it's a security concern…"

She giggled, "You'd really like to know who was wandering around in our suite, huh?" He opened his mouth, presumably to respond, but simply stood there with it open as she slipped her arms free and let the dress slide down to pool around her ankles. Keri fought the urge to blush as his hot gaze raked over the eclectic selection of lingerie that barely covered her…assets. She forced herself to turn slowly from side to side to give him a better look. "You like?"

Lewis firmly shut his mouth and moved to run his hands over her silk accented body. His fingers drifted over the mounds of her breasts, barely contained in the deep blue demi-bra, and he rained hot kisses over her bare tummy on down to the lace edged top of the matching thong panties that peeked out from the 'cover' of a real garter belt that held up her lacy thigh high stockings. "It's a damn good thing a false garter is part of the tradition, cherished. There's no way in hell I'd have allowed anyone else to see you in this."

She grinned at his raw tone and ran her fingers through his hair, shivering as he laid his cheek against the bare skin just below her bra. "Oh yeah, you like."

"I think we'll skip that bath," he muttered.

"Bath? What bath?" Nearly tripping over the damned shoes, she slipped around him and dashed for the bathroom. She turned at his heartfelt sigh and giggled at the sight of her somewhat anal husband picking up after her yet again. "Sorry!" she called out, and blew him a kiss as he straightened. He shook his head and took the discarded clothing out of her line of vision. A strong rose scent caught her attention and she spun around and gaped.

"I take it you're pleased, hmm?" Lewis murmured from behind her left ear.

Keridwen smiled as he delicately teased the mating scar with his tongue. Leaning back, she sighed, "Oh yeah. Rose bathwater, rose petals, and champagne…oh, wait." She pulled away, tugged at the bottle to examine its label and snorted with laughter. "Not champagne, it's sparkling white grape juice. Well, that certainly limits the pool of suspects."

So it did. He lightly swatted the barely clad bottom that was raised in the air. "I'll be right back, try and behave, hmm?"

She straightened, and pouted as she rubbed her behind, pretending injury. "If I don't, are you going to spank me?"

Heat rushed through him as he caught the edge of the door for support. A glance back over his shoulder told him that his lovely wife knew exactly what she was doing in bringing up that particular subject. "I just might," he told her. "At the moment it's a threat. You know what to do to make it a promise."

Keri snickered, stifling it quickly and assuming an innocent air when Lewis leaned back into the doorway. "Are you being impertinent?" he asked.

"Who, me? Nope, absolutely not."

"Damn."

She sunk down on the floor, both hands clasped over her mouth to hold in the laughter. No, tonight wasn't for 'play'; tonight was for a nice bath, sparkling juice, cuddling, and tender love making. "Oh boy," she whispered, remembering Lewis' expression when he'd looked back into the bathroom. Now she just had to get him with the program.

"Ah ha!" Keri looked up as he returned. "I believe we have our explanation." Lewis frowned at the envelope labeled with their names. "At least, I certainly hope there's an explanation," he amended.

Holding up a hand, she let him pull her to her feet. "Going to open it?" He raised an eyebrow then handed it to her unopened. "I guess not." She smiled sweetly and gave him a quick kiss on the jaw for remembering that she really enjoyed opening things. The flap was tucked in rather than sealed, so she poked a nail inside and pulled it out. A sheet of the fancy writing paper from the library was carefully folded inside.

"And?" Lewis prompted when she just smiled without saying anything. Keri giggled as he looked over her shoulder and held the paper to her chest to hide the writing. "Keridwen, I'm beginning to think imper…"

"Noooo!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him energetically then reached out to feel if he'd been distracted. She sputtered when she realized that he'd been teasing her all along. He had absolutely no intention of playing at anything tonight. "Oh, Lewis."

... ...

He chuckled and sat on the edge of the tub to remove his socks. "Oh, Keridwen," he teased. "I was wondering when you were going to get around to reading me." She rolled her eyes. "Are you going to tell me what it says?" Keridwen sighed and sat down beside him. His eyes widened with apprehension and he held his breath as she wobbled slightly on the edge, but she regained her balance before falling into the tub. His wife was a menace…mostly to herself.

"It says, Congratulations Keri and Lewis," she told him. "With love, Beth and Amy…that's all in fancy calligraphy. Then at the bottom there's a scrawled note, looks like Amy's writing that says she hopes we like it."

Frowning, he held out a hand for the letter, and read it for himself. "I don't understand," he finally admitted.

His mate…wife sighed. "This is their wedding present to us. Making things all romantic and all."

He was still confused. "That part I got, it's the why that I don't understand."

She was rolling her eyes again. "Love, they don't have any money to buy presents with. Beth doesn't get paid for her work in the lab, and Amy is just about keeping up with her classes. She can't get a job."

"So why doesn't Amy tell me she needs spending money? I'd agreed to support her and finance her education." He shook his head, still lost. "Or Beth for that matter. She's your friend, helping you out. Surely she understands that you'd be happy to give her anything she needs." He frowned when Keridwen groaned and covered her face with her hands.

She peeked out from between her fingers and sighed at his doubtless still bewildered expression. "It's that thing called pride, Lewis. I would think that you, of all people, would understand that."

"I suppose I don't really apply it to others," he mused. "Have you ever been without the proverbial silver spoon, cherished?"

"Yes, when I went to Hawaii to get my masters in genetics. Grandfather had cut me off, and he also managed to block my trust for a while." She frowned at the memory…which obviously still hurt; then shrugged. "So, I got a job as a legal aide. I was lucky; I had a skill that wasn't really very common at that time. Most people aren't so fortunate."

He nodded and held his arms out to her, smiling as she moved into his embrace. "Remind me if I should forget that again."

"Okay. Lewis?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you realize that you have far too many clothes on?"

He laughed, set her back on her feet, and stood to finish undressing. When he'd returned from hanging up his clothing, she was still standing where he'd left her. "Are you going to get in the bath wearing that lingerie?" She shook her head. "Then why haven't you taken it off?"

"Oh, I was waiting for my audience," she told him. His jaw dropped as she began to sway to imaginary music and flirtatiously began to unsnap the tabs on the garter belt and tug off her stockings, one agonizing inch at a time.

... ...

Anya frowned as she looked over the balcony. Mark had gone back down to get them another bottle or two of champagne when she'd begun making lewd suggestions as to what they could do with it. "Huh, well what have we here?" David was slow dancing with Beth. "Hmm, well, he's older than I want anyway." But Eric was doing what the humans called 'dirty dancing' with Amy, of all people. She frowned and then dismissed it with a shrug. "Probably pretending she's me," she told herself. Eager footsteps echoed down the hall; she grinned and with a running start, launched herself onto the middle of the large bed. It was still bouncing slightly under the assault when the door opened and Mark entered, three bottles of bubbly clutched in his arms.

"I didn't think we'd need any glasses," he told her with a grin.

"No, we got all the glasses we need," she purred and twisted onto her back while he opened one of the bottles. Anja let her head drop over the side of the bed as she watched him undress. A very satisfied sigh emerged as the boxers joined the rest of his clothing over the back of a chair. "All that for me?"

He followed her gaze and cleared his throat once he realized she was not referring to the alcohol. "Of course," he began offhandedly…then stopped. "Anja, you know there is no one else for me, don't you?"

Her grin widened into what she knew was a wicked smile as she patted her concave belly and waited while he carefully poured champagne into the depression. "Well, certainly. I'm all any one male can handle."

"Oh yes," he agreed as he moved into position beside her and suckled a nipple before moving to lap up a bit of the liquid. "And probably more."

She laughed, splashing some of the champagne onto the bed. "Only probably?"

... ...

"Sloan?"

Sloan looked up with a dreamy smile when Tom spoke her name. "Hmm?"

"Even Caryn has called it a night. Do you think we can leave now?"

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked around. Not only had Caryn left, but so had almost all of the guests, if you didn't count the bikers. But then, they had informed Mark earlier not to bother finding them rooms, they'd camp out on the lawn. "Oh. Well, I guess so." She glanced at her watch and blinked in surprise. It was much later than she'd thought. "I guess I was enjoying dancing with you too much to notice the time."

Tom chuckled richly, caught her left hand in his right and lifted it to his mouth to kiss the palm. "Sloan, that wasn't dancing, not really. We pretty much spent the entire past two hours holding each other and moving a few inches every couple of minutes."

She could feel the blush rising in her cheeks. "Well, it was very romantic," she said defensively.

"Yes, it was. But I think it's time for a bit more than romance, don't you?"

The blush had given up on her cheeks and was now spreading over the rest of her body. She looked up into his beautiful eyes and smiled back at him. "If you insist," she began.

"Oh, I _insist_, my mate."

Her heart beat faster at the forceful heat in his tone. If anyone had ever told her that she would find that a man ordering her around, however gently, would excite the hell out of her, she'd have told them they were totally out of their minds. Maybe she was the one out of her mind, she thought, moaning as his lips drifted across her neck until his mouth covered the small scar. "Then…yes…" she managed to whisper.

Tom straightened abruptly and she whimpered at the loss of his touch. Just as she was about to voice a complaint, he swept her up into his arms and began carrying her towards the house. "If I wait for you to actually move," he explained. "We'll be here all night. And I definitely have other plans for the rest of the night."

Sloan laughed at his oh so serious tone and expression. "I can't wait."

... ...

"Karl?"

He pulled back slightly so that T could see his face. "Yes?"

"What do you say about going inside…and finish the celebrating there?"

Grinning at her hopeful expression, he waited, wondering how long she was going to hold her breath. Uh oh, she was frowning, okay, no games. "I think that's a great idea." Good, the smile was back…and oh, damn, it was a sexy sultry smile, the one he'd been dreaming of for the last month or so. It held promises…promises that might be fulfilled tonight. "I've got to make a last round of security checks first. Do you want to wait here, or go upstairs to wait?"

Her expression grew thoughtful and she tapped her chin for a moment before answering. "I think I'll go upstairs and…get ready for bed."

Oh damn. She had that, that _look _on her face. This was going to be the quickest round of security checks he'd ever made. "Uh, sounds good. I'll see you there shortly." Oh, yeah, very shortly.

"Karl?" He stopped and turned back towards her. "I'm glad we decided to wait." The unspoken 'but' was obvious. "I don't want to wait much longer."

"Neither do I, Tracie, neither do I."

... ...

Keri groaned as Lewis indulged in _his_ favorite form of foreplay…which wasn't really foreplay at all. He'd trapped her in the tub by hooking her knees over opposite sides, and was fondling her beneath the water. He'd admitted that he enjoyed it particularly because it left her fully vulnerable, and that he could – and always would, bring her to orgasm time and time again…like he was doing now. She arched back, pressing harder into his fingers as the sensations swept through her. "God, Lewis…so much, please!" She wasn't entirely certain herself of whether she wanted him to stop, or to make her come again.

"Please what, cherished?" he asked, chuckling as she moaned and began to shake uncontrollably. "Please you? Ah, but I am…"  
She whimpered and dropped back against his chest as the 'ride' shuddered to a stop. "God, love," she moaned into his neck once she could actually breathe slowly enough to speak. "You know I love this too, but I'm going to look like a prune if we stay in here much longer."

Lewis smiled and kissed her temple as he freed her legs. A moment later he was on his feet and lifting her out of the tub…all in one smooth movement. She still hadn't figured out quite how he managed it, dominant strength or no dominant strength, that was quite a feat. "As you wish, my own."

Normally he would set her down to stand on the thick rug that sat parallel to the tub and would dry her off with one of the plush towels on the nearby rack…normally didn't seem to apply tonight. Her eyebrows rose as he carried her out of the bathroom and then set her on the rose petal covered bed and rolled her over, twice. "Lewis!"

He gave her a weak attempt at an innocent look. "Yes, cherished?"

"I'm going to have rose petals stuck all over my body," she complained.

"Hmm, then I suppose I'll have to remove each and every one."

Her jaw dropped as he leaned over her, and took the edge of one rose petal in his teeth. After removing it from body, he spit it out over the side of the bed where the trashcan usually stood. Then he leaned back down, nibbled and licked at the skin around another petal to get enough of an edge up, and repeated the maneuver. Keri moaned as he went for a third…she had to have hundreds of the damn things stuck to her. This was going to drive her absolutely crazy with need. Of course, she was sure it would do the same to him. Oh, it was going to be a good…no, make that a great night.

**ELSEWHERE**

Randall cursed under his breath as he trudged up the long foliage lined road. No sign of a wedding yet, and he hadn't picked up any sense of his own kind in the immediate vicinity. He looked back towards the SUV and cursed again. Sarah hadn't the skills needed for masking, so had remained behind with Richard's brat. If that little pervert so much as looked at his female funny, he was going to enjoy eviscerating him. "Shit. No _fucking _way. Ah damn it, Sarah, since when did you become _mine_?" He angrily turned his attention back to the search. Now was not the time to be thinking about the deceptively soft curves that disguised muscles nearly as strong as his. He groaned as his groin tightened. "Concentrate, idiot. Granted, Lewis will likely be distracted, but he _will_ have security, and if anything Jane said can be trusted, he's got at least one chameleon who is an expert at masking."

About halfway down the road, he stopped short as the sounds of a party drifted through the bushes to his left. Crossing the street, he reinforced the masking he had begun well before he'd turned right onto Maroa. He edged through the bushes and halted when he had a good view of the expensively appointed and customized ranch style house. A large sign congratulated Pete and Gracie on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. There was a table covered with gifts wrapped in wedding themed wrapping paper, and a slew of expensive cars littered the long drive. "Shit," he growled as he turned on his heel and headed back to the SUV. "I knew that was just too damned easy."


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

Brad settled back in the leather armchair and waited while his host poked at the keyboard of the elaborate computer system. Adjustments were made; the mouse buttons clicked a few times then the other man's long slender fingers flew over the keyboard. "That should do it," he said as he left the computer station and sat in the matching chair.

"I just hope they gave me enough to be worth looking at," he muttered. "Though I was pleasantly surprised that Mark agreed to give me a copy, albeit an edited one." The other man stretched out long legs clad in expensive slacks in a silk and wool blend and crossed them at the ankles. The Italian leather shoes had been left behind at the computer desk, along with the socks, Brad noted. He shrugged; Archangel always had been more comfortable in either combat boots or bare feet. That the man wore the stylish loafers at all was a matter of pride in his change of station in life.

"If you hadn't asked, they'd have volunteered, I'm sure. Lewis did tell the feds he wanted witnesses to the event." Archangel paused as the image coalesced on the oversized HDX LED screen mounted on the far wall. The first image was a general sweep of the area set up for the wedding, the pulpit, the trees, and the oleander bushes the main focus. "Oleander, very large and healthy specimens of it," he mused, tapping his lips with an index finger. "That and the weather should narrow it down quite a bit." He sat forward as the photographer caught a reflection of the sun in the windows of the small mansion. "What time was this?"

... ...

The Reverend hesitated, and Archangel steeled himself to hear the former covert ops specialist ask why it mattered. He was still having a hard time dealing with his old friend's radical change in careers. To his relief, the question never came. "Well, they're just starting to set up the tables, so it has to have been around one in the afternoon. When I arrived at what they told me was quarter 'til two, they were just finishing."

"What you were told?"

"Yes, they took my watch before we began the trip; I imagine they hoped to confuse me if we changed time zones."

"Humph, or more likely if you didn't, is your time sense shot by all of that easy living?" he teased.

"Not that badly. I seriously doubt we changed time zones…I'd guessed it was about fourteen hundred. Think you can narrow it down from just that?"

"Personally? No, I know my limitations. But my specialists can. We'll have the city, if not the exact street address, by tomorrow." He lifted the tumbler and took a slow sip of Jameson's, smiling wryly as the smooth but potent drink slid down his throat. He actually preferred tequila, but the fine Irish whiskey was a symbol to him, a hard earned symbol. "You know, you could have just asked her."

"With her husband standing right there? I don't think so. And yes, he was all but plastered to her side throughout the event. You know, I think the man really loves her."

"Good. It's about time the poor kid had someone of her own." He glanced over as Brad's eyebrows flew up. "Her family treated her like dirt. You saw that for yourself."

"Yeah, but since when do you care about a debutante?"

"Since I've owed her several lives, or have you forgotten so quickly?"

Silence, followed by a heartfelt sigh answered him. The minister shifted in his seat and muttered, "Hmm, that's right, you do…including yours."

"Including mine," he echoed, watching the screen avidly as the bride followed her attendants up the aisle.

**Keri's Wedding Dance Theme**

**_I Knew I Loved You_**

(Lyrics by Darren Hayes & Daniel Jones)

Maybe it's intuition  
But some things you just don't question  
Like in your eyes  
I see my future in an instant  
And there it goes  
I think I've found my best friend  
I know that it might sound more than a little crazy  
But I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life

There's just no rhyme or reason  
Only this sense of completion  
And in your eyes  
I see the missing pieces  
I'm searching for  
I think I've found my best friend

I know that it might sound more than a little crazy  
But I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life

A thousand angels dance around you  
I am complete now that I've found you

I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life

**_FINIS_**

**Author's Note: **I had originally planned a follow-up series of books that would have been called "Choices". Cousins was completed in early 2001 or thereabouts. Unfortunately, life intervened and the second series was outlined but never written.

As interest in Prey has dropped off over the years, it may never be written. It would have revealed the following:

1. The identity of the mysterious "Archangel".

2. The fates of Danielle, Kevin, and other persons the story's fans love to hate.

3. What Lewis finally decides to do (or not do) about coexistence.

4. Babies (I know you guys LOVE babies).

5. The result of the gathering when Kewley's Comet arrives.

6. Much drama, angst and adventure while trying to arrive at an HEA for our heroes.

All of that said, if enough interest ever develops I've saved all of my notes and would, at that time, seriously consider writing the follow-up series.


End file.
